Wandering Fox
by Florentine Quill
Summary: AU. When Naruto leaves Konoha on a sudden note, nobody knows what to say. But who is this mysterious "Wandering Fox" who has suddenly appeared to help with Konoha's enemies? Future NaruHina and side IruKaka shonen-ai.
1. I

_He stood on a cliff overlooking a valley. Lifting his furred muzzle the fox sniffed the frigid mountain air. He could smell the smoke he spotted rising from the village that sat nestled on the valley floor. The fox's lips raised briefly in a silent snarl, his three tails lashing a bit, before the fox turned away in disgust. His paws crunched softly in the layer of snow as he made his way down the mountain without a sound. Soon the pitiful humans would pay...very soon. _

Naruto shifted restlessly in his sleep…not this dream…no, not again…

_He roared, heralding his presence to the terrified humans- The announcement was redundant; he tore through their village the way firestorm razed grassland. His muzzle was coated in a fresh layer of blood - he licked his lips, crouching slightly before leaping towards a fresh victim- a mother trying to protect her children. He quickly dispatched the woman with a blow from one of his tails, now numbering five. _

He thrashed, trying to stop the mental images. He heard a sadistic chuckle but couldn't tell if it was the Kitsune's or his own.

_He tore out the throat of the child he'd captured. Its terrified wails stopped and the fox wagged his seven tails once with satisfaction before he lowered his muzzle and tore into his meal. The flesh of a human child really was best, so tender and sweet. It seemed to retain the tang of fear best of out of all prey. Mere animals instinctively gave up as they died, accepting their fate. Humans were best, because of their silly belief that they were dominant- it caused a shiver of pleasure to race down his spine and tails to see the fear in their eyes as he lunged toward them, fangs glistening._

The genin yelled in his sleep, tears falling sideways to mix with the cold sweat that had broken out from the boy's mental battle.

_He growled at the human sitting atop the frog's head. He'd heard of this person, the Yondaime and his fearsome deeds. Now actually looking at the man he (against his will) began to believe the tales of the man's fierce loyalty to the village he protected. _

"_**Foolish human." **__He snarled, showing off his nine tails, one darting down every few seconds to decimate the ranks of the so-called shinobi that tried to delay his progress. The man merely smiled sadly before flashing a long set of hand seals. He stopped, holding the last hand seal. The fox was about to start laughing after a few moments until he saw a pale apparition form behind the man. His slight amusement turned to horror but before he could retreat, he felt his soul being ripped out of his body and his mind faded into blackness…_

Naruto bolted upright, gasping for air, his eyes wide as he took in his familiar surroundings. Slowly his heart slowed and he took deep shuddering breaths as he drew his knees to his chest; hiding his face from non-existent watchers. Slowly his body calmed down and after a few minutes, the boy relaxed enough to glance at the old beaten up alarm clock he'd fished out of a dumpster a few years ago.

Five twenty three. He'd better get up and moving for the day; he had a meeting with his team this morning. The genin slipped out of bed and winced as he padded, bare foot across cold wooden floors towards his bathroom, absently grabbing his regular orange jumpsuit.

* * *

Yawning, Naruto finally arrived at the bridge where he and his team normally met. He waved absently at his teammates, slouching over the railing to await the late arrival of Kakashi. His eyes were half closed as he lazily watched the water flow past him underneath bridge. He blinked slowly; he was tired- the dreams he'd been having didn't exactly make for a relaxing night. His eyes had drifted almost all the way shut when a fist crashed into the top of his head. He let out a yelp of pain, eyes flying open to spot an angry looking Sakura.

"Sakura-chan!" He whined, nursing the new lump on his head. "What was that for?"

"Baka! I asked if you were doing anything for the Kyuubi festival!" Sakura's voice was her usual dulcet tones, with an overtone of annoyance and frustration.

"No. I generally stay home," he said somewhat coldly, his eyes hardening. _"Home" being where ever the villagers aren't likely to go…_

"What about you, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura turned to her crush, ready to fawn over him at a moment's notice.

The ever-silent Sasuke merely grunted and shrugged. "Home," he replied shortly.

Before she could say anything else, all three heard a poof and smelled smoke. It seemed that their lazy sensei had finally appeared.

"You're late!" Sakura screeched. Naruto yawned again and nodded while Sasuke stayed silent.

Kakashi's visible eye smiled as he tried to think of a plausible excuse. "Maa, I was crossing the street and an abandoned tomato walk-"

"Liar!" Sakura shouted once again, glaring.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head nervously for a moment before looking over his students. Sakura was still fuming over his late arrival, Sasuke was standing off to one side, glaring off into the distance while Naruto…he frowned, the usually hyperactive blonde was struggling to stay awake.

"Today we have no missions. You're free for today so-" Before he could even finish the sentence, Sakura and Sasuke had already left. Naruto shook his head, still trying to keep awake and turning to leave. He watched the boy, wondering what was wrong. _Probably stayed up late, training, _the jounin mused for moment, before leaving in a poof of smoke.

* * *

"Hey baa-chan," Naruto's usual greeting was subdued and the Hokage raised an eyebrow, silently questioning the blonde genin. His gaze flickered down to the floor of the Hokage office, eyes dulled from their usual sapphire blue to a greyer tone.

"What do you want Naruto?" Tsunade finally asked, wondering what had happened to bring the cheerful genin down.

He finally looked at her, taking a deep breath before bowing deeply. "Hokage-sama, I respectfully request a temporary leave of absence."

The sake she'd been about to drink was nearly spewed out in shock. "What? Why?" She sputtered, shocked.

Naruto came up from his bow. "Think about it baa-chan. It's September 30th," he said flatly.

The Hokage nodded; the villagers definitely became bolder in their actions against Naruto as October 10th drew closer. "Ah…I see your point. When do you want to leave?"

"Tomorrow," he stated in a dull tone. "I'll leave before the villagers get up."

"What should I tell the rest of the genins? They'll be-"

"What, worried?" Naruto let loose a bark of harsh laughter that didn't reach his eyes. "No, they'll be too busy with plans for the damn festival."

"I'll have the pass for you by tonight," Tsunade promised.

Naruto nodded, leaving without a word. The youthful-looking Hokage sighed heavily, watching the young boy exiting the tower. She watched as the blonde simply was absorbed into the crowd briefly before he entered the alleys and back ways of Konoha.

"Oh Naruto…" She muttered under her breath, worried over the young shinobi.

* * *

Naruto ducked out of the alley nearest the entrance to his apartment. Swiftly glancing down each side of the street he crossed said street and leapt up to his apartment's balcony before a villager could spot him and glare with those horribly cold eyes. Eyes that screamed: _We all hate you, just go and die you damn demon. Go die, no one cares about you. _

He shuddered as he entered his bedroom, snagging the backpack he used on missions from the hall. In the privacy of his own home, he was able to discard the happy-go-lucky mask that most of Konoha knew him by. He frowned a little, picking up piles of supplies that he'd need and dumping them on his bed. _How easily they were fooled, _he thought. _No seemed to remember me as anything except a stupid prankster, a dobe._

His hands paused in his calm packing, and the blonde let out a heavy sigh. Even Iruka had fallen for his mask. His hands resumed packing, placing a small bundle of scrolls next to his extra kunai and shuriken pouches. He let his thoughts drift, wondering where he would go for the week and a half he planned to disappear.

Would he even come back? He hadn't given the old hag a return date. He could wander where ever he wanted and not be counted a missing-nin….He shook his head roughly, discarding the idea. The council would revoke his pass and declare him a missing-nin. Hunting season for all foxes: Open.

_I'll probably just head for Suna. I can visit Gaara for a while…_His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door. He walked to the door and opened it, wondering who would be polite as to knock on his door instead of just kicking it in. He was vaguely surprised to see of the chuunins who usually on gate duty standing there.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked after a moment of silence.

"The Hokage asked me to deliver this," the chuunin held out a travel pass which Naruto took with an idiotic grin.

"Sweet! I can't wait, I'm going to go visit Gaara or maybe that old bridge builder in Wave…" He said, mask slipping silently into place. He trailed off, smiling as he noticed that the shinobi was already gone. He took a closer look at the pass he held in his hand that would allow him brief freedom from his home village.

The pass was a simple scroll that was small enough to be slipped inside a pocket or kunai pouch comfortably. He unrolled it to double-check the details as he walked back to his room. It merely stated that he, Uzumaki Naruto, genin of Konohagakure was allowed to travel freely through Hi no Kuni and its allies starting on the date shown.

Naruto shrugged, rolling the scroll back up and slipped it in his backpack. Running through a mental checklist he thought he'd packed everything. He rummaged about his kitchen, grabbing some ramen for food and filling his water pouch, something he'd picked up from a mission. It was a watertight animal skin, easy to roll up and stuff in a bag when empty.

Looking about his apartment he grabbed his pack and left it near the door. He wondered if he should go to bed when another person knocked on his door. He barely had time to wonder who it was when a familiar voice sounded.

"Naruto? Are you in there?" It was Iruka-sensei. Naruto walked over to the door and opened it with a grin.

"Iruka-sensei! Whaddya want," he asked, grinning up at the taller man. Iruka raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What's this I hear about you getting a travel pass?" His question was asked in sober manner and Naruto winced silently. While Iruka had never seen past the mask fully he had come close several times- luckily Naruto had been able to fool the older man with a plea for ramen.

"Oh…I wanted to go and visit Gaara or old man Tazuna," Naruto smiled weakly up at his teacher, praying that the man wouldn't pry any further.

"And it's just a mere coincidence that you leave tomorrow? Before dawn?" The eyebrow that Iruka had relaxed a little started once more towards the Academy teacher's hairline. Naruto slumped a little, looking down at the floor.

"Not really…" He mumbled. Iruka sighed and unfolded his arms from his chest before kneeling down that he could look at Naruto. The boy's eyes were narrowed in an icy blue-gray glare that should've scorched the floorboards if there was any justice in the world.

"Naruto…I'd try and convince you not to go but…I already know it wouldn't do any good," he murmured, wrapping his arms around the startled genin. Naruto stiffened for a moment before relaxing, a tear creeping down his cheek as he returned the hug from his surrogate father.

"You'd think knowing why they hated me would make it better…but it just hurts more. At least now I can leave the village- I doubt a mob would follow me that far…" Naruto said a few moments, disentangling himself from Iruka's comforting embrace. The Chuunin nodded sadly, before standing up.

"I guess I see you around sometime. Don't stay away too long Naruto. People would miss you." Iruka left with a smile and a wave as Naruto retreated back into his apartment, a sarcastic snort leaving his mouth.

"Somehow I doubt that Iruka-sensei….I just doubt it." He said sighing, walking back to the kitchen to prepare a ramen dinner before going to bed.

* * *

**A/N: Haha! I liiiiiiiive! Sorry for being on hiatus so long but college and school in general just ate up my time and I actually couldn't find the will to start editing- no excuse, I know. But, I started editing over winter break and made it my unofficial New Year's Resolution to start editing. Fast forward to 1:56 PM on March 25th and I had finished editing Wandering Fox as my teacher droned on about the economic changes brought about by WWI. I shall upload one edited chapter per week until we hit the new chapters I'm currently writing. Enjoy!**


	2. II

**AN: Okay, just a quick note before you click out of here! One, Chapters I-IV are all nitpicky little grammar edits. If you don't want to both rereading, wait until Chapter V is posted for the first major story/plot/anything other than grammar edit. **

* * *

Sakura frowned as she stopped in front of Naruto's apartment, accompanied by Sasuke and Kakashi. They had all met on their usual bridge and waited for over an hour before starting to look for Naruto, who was strangely missing. He hadn't been at that ramen stand he adored so much and after speaking with Konohamaru and his cohort learned that Naruto hadn't been seen all day. They had finally come to his apartment, a little surprised that Naruto lived in such a worn down building, situated in a more dangerous part of town.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called out, knocking lightly on the door. Glancing back the genin behind he shrugged and turned away, ready to continue reading Icha Icha Paradise. He was stopped by both of Naruto's teammates latching onto his arm. He slumped, his arm still held fast by Sasuke as Sakura tried the door. She appeared surprised to find it unlocked and hesitantly stepped inside, followed by her teammate and teacher.

"Naruto?" She called out, sounding a little irritated as she looked about her. The small apartment was surprisingly clean for the most part. Everything was very worn and faded, but pretty clean. There were a few ramen cups scattered around the small couch and single armchair and the worn rug was stained pretty badly under an old coffee table, but that was it. Peeking into the kitchen, she spotted a cracked table and a lonely chair, pushed in haphazardly before an empty sink. Cautiously opening a cupboard she was unsurprised and slightly disgusted to find packages of ramen stacked.

"He's not here!" Sakura heard Sasuke call out. Curious she walked down the hall to find her crush standing in Naruto's small bedroom, looking at a small bookcase filled with scrolls in slight disbelief. Sakura glanced at the bed in the corner, finding it like the rest of the house- worn but clean, the sheets slightly rumpled. There were a few posters and a calendar on the wall, a closet door left carelessly open showed a few duplicates of the horrible orange jumpsuit Naruto habitually wore. There was also a small shelf, piled with kunai and shuriken.

While Sakura was inspecting Naruto's closet, Sasuke pulled a scroll at random from the small bookcase and looked at it. What was the dobe doing with _Intermediate Taijutsu Exercises_? Glancing at Sakura who was trying to decide whether or not to burn Naruto's clothes, he unrolled the scroll and activated his Sharingan- only to be shocked by a low-level Raiton jutsu. He let out a small hiss of pain, dropping the scroll, watching it unroll, showing nothing but white space. The raven-haired genin froze as he saw the scroll roll to a stop- at Kakashi's feet. He quickly deactivated his Sharingan as the lazy jounin bent over to pick up the scroll.

"What's Naruto doing with this many scrolls Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, walking over to peruse the shelves herself. Sasuke stuck his burnt hand in his pocket and shrugged, watching his teacher roll up the scroll and replacing it on the shelf. Kakashi himself shrugged. "Maybe someone gave them to him as birthday gifts. I think Sandaime-sama used to when he was small."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, realizing he didn't even know Naruto's birthday- you'd think the blonde would announce it to the village, so they would remember the birthday of the greatest Hokage ever. Sakura looked puzzled, asking the question before Sasuke could.

"When is Naruto's birthday, Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi shrugged before walking out of the room. The two genin followed out of curiosity and out of the apartment. "Oh you already know it, just as a different celebration." Kakashi finally answered. Sasuke let out a small snort of disgust at the answer. Sakura simply sighed, knowing by now that enigmatic answer was likely all she was get out of her silver-haired teacher.

"So where are we going to look for Naruto next?" She decided to switch the topic back to their original discussion- where to find the missing Naruto.

"Hokage Tower. No one's seen him all day which is strange…" Kakashi frowned under his mask as they approached the large red tower, centered in the heart of Konoha.

Quickly climbing the stairs, they soon entered the Hokage's office. Tsunade glanced up from the piles of paperwork that surrounded and spilled over onto her desk. "What do you want?" She asked shortly, stamping a final document and moving it to the pitifully small pile that resided in the outbox.

"Tsunade-sama, we haven't seen Naruto all day and we were starting to get worried…" Kakashi spoke up only to be silenced with a wave of Tsunade's hand. She stood up and turned to look out over the village. "I wouldn't worry about Naruto if I were you. Gate guard early this morning reported him leaving early this morning, just before dawn on his travel pass."

She turned back to look at Team Seven, who looked stunned and dumbfounded. She frowned. "He didn't tell you? No, otherwise you wouldn't be here…and that Academy teacher would've been in here first, demanding for a search party…" The last half of her sentence was half murmured to herself. She folded her arms across her ample bosom, chin tucked near her chest as she thought for a moment before shrugging. She returned her attention back to the waiting genins and their teacher.

"Naruto requested a travel pass yesterday evening- considering the time of the year, I don't really blame him. He left early this morning- destination unknown. For all I know he could be heading off to a coastal town for a month long vacation," she quickly explained.

Kakashi's expression turned from worried to something a little darker when Tsunade the circumstances under which Naruto left. Sasuke and Sakura, however, still looked confused as ever. "Hokage-sama, what does the time of year have to do with Naruto's leaving?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade threw an exasperated look in Kakashi's direction. "Didn't he tell you _anything _about himself?" Kakashi simply shook his head, just realizing that he knew very little about the missing blonde- only what was in his file and what the Third had told him. Tsunade let out a growl before finally answering Sakura's question. "I won't tell you if Naruto hasn't. His secrets are that for a reason."

The look of confusion on Sakura's face merely grew- Naruto had secrets? The blonde could barely keep from telling secrets, how could he have any of his own? She was distracted by her uncomplimentary thoughts of her missing teammate by Tsunade clearing her throat.

"If you want to go after Naruto, I'll give you clearance to leave- though you'll have to find out where he was going by yourselves." Kakashi nodded in acceptance of that statement and lead his team out of the office as Tsunade pulled out a small bottle of sake.

After a few minutes of silent walking Kakashi finally turned to his genin, pausing by the side of the road. "Well?" he asked simply, hands tucked comfortably in his pockets. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Well, what?" The Uchiha asked in his usually monotone.

"Do you two want to go chase Naruto?"

"Hn. The dobe can't even be trusted with himself; Kami only knows what trouble he'll get into on the road." Translation: Yes. Kakashi smiled before turning to Sakura who appeared thoughtful.

"I think we should," she finally spoke at last. "He seems to have a lot of secrets- secrets that we don't know anything about. I think he should trust us, I mean we are his teammates after all."

Kakashi twitched mentally, Sakura was pretty smart and that could be dangerous with Naruto and his secrets…But she did seem concerned about Naruto. Sighing out loud, Kakashi banished wistful thoughts of reading Icha Icha Paradise while his team slaved away at D-rank missions.

"Alright then, consider this training in tracking a missing-nin. We know that Naruto left early this morning, he might've left clues to where he was heading. One of you go check the logs at the gate house and the other go tell Hokage-sama we'll be leaving to find Naruto as soon as we know where he was going." Sasuke nodded once before turning back towards Hokage Tower.

"I'll meet you two at the gate," he called back before picking up speed. Sakura looked a little disappointed that she had been ditched by Sasuke but reluctantly returned her gaze to Kakashi.

"What're you going to do Kakashi-sensei?" She asked as they started for the gate. He shrugged amiably.

"I'll probably talk to the gate guards and send out some of my nin-dogs to see if they can pick up a scent trail."

Sakura formed a silent "oh" and they soon reached the gate house to find the two chuunins assigned there- asleep. Sakura quietly started flipping through the logs for the day, looking for Naruto's semi-familiar sprawling scribble. While she was busy looking Kakashi had nudged the guards awake and taken them a short distance away to talk. They both looked rather nervous at the thought of talking to the infamous Sharingan no Kakashi.

"What do you need sir?" One of them asked, scratching his head nervously. Kakashi shrugged, trying to look his laziest and most relaxed. "Oh nothing much, just some information. You guys have been here since….what before dawn?"

They nodded, still wondering what the jounin wanted. Kakashi eye-smiled. "Ah good, you're the shift I'm looking for. Do you remember seeing my student, Uzumaki Naruto leaving?"

"What, the Kyuubi cont-" The one that spoke up was swiftly jabbed in the side by his companion as Sakura trotted up, looking pleased with herself. She held the log book and had her finger pointing at a familiar signature. "Found it Kakashi-sensei! He left here around 5:30 this morning."

The chuunin who had jabbed his comrade nodded in affirmation. "Yeah. He signed out without a fuss- though I remember that Iruka showed up to say goodbye. Uzumaki might've told him where he was heading."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, directing Sakura to go put the log back. Feeling a familiar chakra signature approaching at a lazy saunter he turned to spot Sasuke. Sakura let out a happy squeal and promptly bounded up to her crush to inform him of what she and Kakashi had found. While the raven-haired Uchiha was being brought up to date, Kakashi quickly and quietly summoned Pakkun and his other nin-dogs. The brown little pug looked confused but nodded quickly as Kakashi gave his canine companions orders to hunt for Naruto's scent.

"We'll find him Kakashi, don't worry." While the other dogs had leapt away in pursuit of Naruto's scent, Pakkun paused. Kakashi smiled briefly through his mask.

"Ne, Pakkun, I was actually hoping you'd stick with me- Me and Sasuke and Sakura are about to see Naruto's old Academy teacher and he might know where Naruto is heading. Once we have a narrower search area, you could go and inform the others?"

Pakkun looked faintly surprised at the hint of pleading he heard in Kakashi's voice but nodded. He nodded at Sasuke and Sakura as Kakashi finally walked over to them. "According to the gate guards, Iruka-sensei might know where Naruto is heading- that can provide a narrower search area for my nin-dogs. You two remember Pakkun, from the Chuunin Exam I trust?"

He received nods and the group headed for the nearby Academy, all of them hoping that Iruka would have the information they wanted.

* * *

Naruto stopped at the edge of the trees, panting slightly. He narrowed his eyes against the harsh glare of the sun as he gazed across the rolling sand dunes that marked the edge of Kaze no Kuni. The road he'd been following steadily ever since he left swiftly devolved into a small worn trail that was barely visible among all of the sand.

Digging into his back, he checked the level of his waterskin and briefly consulted the map he'd brought- if he kept going east he'd reach Suna in a couple of days. Shouldering his pack, the blonde strode out into the desert sun.

* * *

Kakashi mentally steeled himself as his students led him through the twisting hallways of the academy- He had only interacted with Iruka once, when he had nominated Naruto and the others for the Chuunin Exams and well…it hadn't gone well. He wouldn't be surprised if the Chuunin harbored a deep disliking of him- from what he'd heard the man had a strong bond with his missing student. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the dinging of a bell somewhere nearby.

"Uh-oh…" Sakura murmured, paling as the ground started rumbling. Sasuke's eyes widened as rumbling deepened and they leaped backwards into a nearby alcove; Sakura dragging their confused teacher back just in time as a mass of small bodies flooded the empty hallway, barreling for the exit doors that represented freedom to their small minds. Kakashi watched in a stupefied amazement as the crushing mass of wriggling bodies slowly dispersed after a few minutes.

Papers slowly drifted, abandoned to the now-longer shaking floor. Sakura cautiously walked out of the alcove before smiling a little.

"It's safe- I'd forgotten about the Releasing of the first years." The way she spoke the word "releasing" made it clear that it was capitalized. Sasuke nodded before following his teammate down the once-more barren hallway. Kakashi followed hastily, still shaken by what had just seen.

"The, uh, Releasing?" Kakashi asked, wondering if he wanted to know. Sakura nodded briefly before explaining.

"The first year Academy students are released at noon because they're only five or six. They're actually famous for the amounts of energy they have, it makes them almost impossible to control- as you saw. Once that bell rings, no teacher is able to hold a class- they rush out of here like nothing I've ever seen." She finished her explanation just as they reached a door that was hanging by only a hinge, still gently waving from the force of small bodies that had smashed into it at high speeds.

Peering inside they found Iruka sitting behind his desk, head buried in his arms. As they watched the Chuunin changed his position so that he was sprawled in his chair. "Damn, I'd forgotten- after Naruto was gone I'd get _first years _again…" He muttered before noticing he had an audience. He scrambled to his feet, straightening his vest and headband.

"Sakura! Sasuke! What're you guys doing here, shouldn't you be doing missions?" The teacher quickly hugged both of them, ignoring Sasuke's discomfort. Kakashi hung back, watching the man. He was so…open, it was surprising. Naruto was definitely influenced by Iruka's presence; they both wore their hearts on their sleeves proudly.

"We can't exactly do missions without Naruto. We heard you might know where he's at." Kakashi finally spoke up, taking a single step inside the empty classroom. Iruka's eyes hardened slightly as he nodded cordially to the silver-haired jounin.

"I might've, why?" Iruka's voice was tense and guarded as he turned to straighten up his desk. Kakashi almost let out a growl but a quiet sigh escaped his masked lips instead.

"Sasuke, Sakura, why don't you wait for me outside the Academy?" Sakura opened her mouth but closed it when she saw how tense the two men were. She nodded and left with Sasuke. Kakashi waited a few minutes before answering Iruka's question.

"So we can find him dammit!" His retort caused Iruka to stop organizing piles of homework and turn around. He leaned against the desk, arms folded across his chest.

"What, worried about one of your precious soldiers getting hurt?" Iruka's eyes were as sharp as flint, he stared at Kakashi.

Kakashi froze for a moment, recalling what he'd said to the Chuunin in the Hokage's office before the Chuunin Exam. Iruka took his brief pause as a chance to continue. "After all, that's all those three seem to be to you- soldiers, pawns to be used for the good of the village." Kakashi flinched minutely but let Iruka continue. "Even if I did tell you were Naruto was going, what were you going to do, bring him back here?"

"Of course! He's too young be off wandering by himself, he-" He halted, hearing Iruka let out a bark of laughter. "What, so he's an actual human to you now, with feelings? I won't even go into the fact that bringing him back would the worst thing you could do to the poor boy!"

Kakashi's fists tightened. "What do you mean by that?" He asked in a low voice.

"I mean exactly what I say. Use that genius brain you supposedly possess Kakashi-sensei. Naruto got that pass for a _reason. _He left today for a reason, and I happen to know for a fact that he won't be anywhere _near_ the village on the tenth. Now why's that I suppose?"

Iruka placed his hand on his chin in parody of a thinking gesture. He dropped it after a moment and glared at Kakashi.

"I…" The jounin was at a loss. He tried to think of a retort, but couldn't find one before Iruka spoke again. "If you actually had taken a look at Naruto's medical records you would've notice something. Can you guess what it is?"

Kakashi felt nervous and shook his head. Iruka actually growled at him before replying. "If you had actually looked at Naruto's records you would find that _every year_ he has been admitted into the hospital, almost on a daily basis- but only in the beginning of October. Because every year, the villagers go after him, or rather, after the Kyuubi. And you know what he does?" Again Kakashi shook his head, feeling lower than one of the Aburame's kikai insects.

"Absolutely…" Iruka paused. "Nothing."

"Wha'?"

That inarticulate syllable was all Kakashi make out. The blonde didn't seem like one to sit down and take a beating- literally. His mind flashed back to his time in ANBU- something he had tried his best to not to do ever since he left his mask on Sandaime's desk along with his resignation from the elite organization.

_A blonde haired boy curled up in a small bloody ball in alley. Kakashi growled from behind his wolf mask before jumping down to help the boy. His squad had already dispersed the mob and taken the culprits into custody. He gently grabbed the shaking form, ignoring the blood that dripped from wounds onto his bone-white ANBU breastplate. The form in his arms shifted as the boy hunched against Kakashi's breastplate, as if the armor would protect him as well. _

"_Why…" He glanced down as a small hand curled around the shoulder strap of his armor. "Why, ANBU-san? Why do they hate me…"The shaking increased as the boy started crying. Kakashi stayed silent, as his left eye, Obito's eye, starting weeping. He cleared his throat and growled mentally as the boy flinched away in response. _

"_They hate you for something you couldn't control. But remember this Naruto-san: Not matter what you hear; it is never _your_ fault."_

_He felt the boy nod as he touched down in front of the hospital. "Somebody get me a medic and fast!" He yelled. Medics rushed out and quickly took the boy. A member of his squad appeared next to him. _

"_The culprits?" He asked as the boy was loaded on a stretcher._

"_Dead." His comrade stated shortly._

"_Right. Follow them, make sure he's being cared for properly." Kakashi ordered._

"_Hai, taichou." His subordinate nodded once before following the stretcher as it entered the ER._

Kakashi shook his head to clear it from the memory. "I…Iruka please. Where is Naruto heading?" His voice was much softer and he looked up from the floor.

Iruka looked at him suspiciously- this man was very different from the one who had coldly informed him that his former students were now his soldiers. Kakashi looked steadily back at him. Iruka looked down at his feet and pinched the bridge of his nose, right above his scar.

"Suna. He was planning to go and visit Gaara in Suna." He relented and gave the jounin the information he'd been looking for. Kakashi let out a sigh of relief and stood a little straighter. "You get that Pakkun?" He asked. Iruka's eyes bulged as a small brown pug jumped to one of the desks and nodded. "Got it Kakashi. I'll go tell the others. We'll be waiting for you and the brats."

The brown pug disappeared in a poof of smoke and Kakashi headed for the door. "Thank you Iruka-sensei." Iruka nodded before turning back to straightening the rest of his papers.

* * *

"Let's go you two!" Kakashi called out as he appeared, exiting the Academy. Sasuke dropped down to the ground from his perch in a tree and Sakura stood up from her seat among the roots of the same tree.

"So where's the dobe running to?" Kakashi frowned at Sasuke's phrasing but responded anyway.

"He was going pay a visit to Gaara."

"The guy with the sand monster inside him?" Sakura frowned. "Why would he go there? He's going to miss the Kyuubi Festival…" She fell silent when Kakashi looked flatly at her as they approached the gates.

"Gaara and Naruto have more in common than you'd think Sakura. And I don't think Naruto's ever gone to the Festival an-" Kakashi stopped as he heard a howl sound out, quickly joined by at least two others. "They've picked up Naruto's trail!"

* * *

"Ugh…damn desert." Naruto mumbled as he swayed with exhaustion and dizziness. The sun seemed to beat down and suck away the last dregs of his energy. He stumbled off the trail he'd been following and collapsed on the burning sand as sweat impeded his vision. His limbs felt so heavy…the sand wasn't that uncomfortable really, once you got used to the temperature….maybe he could take a short nap, try to regain some of his lost energy…His eyes drifted close as everything faded to black….

His eyes shot open as a musty, damp smell pervaded his nose. Naruto sat up in shock as he recognized the wide spacious room that housed the Kyuubi and the seal that kept the great Kitsune contained. He scrambled to his feet, disturbing the ankle deep water that covered the floor of his mind. Water dripped off him as he looked about the room before looking at the gate to the prison that held the demon fox at bay. He frowned, the bars were looking much worn and scratched…when he had been here before they'd glowed softly, in perfect condition….

"**Feh, nice to see you're not totally oblivious gaki." **A single pair of gleaming eyes opened lazily. Naruto glared at the Kyuubi, a retort on his lips when the Kitsune spoke again.

"**If you think the bars are bad, glance up a little at that damn seal." **Naruto involuntarily followed the Kitsune's command and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the seal. The edges looked worn, and a little shredded; any other detail was obscured by the seal's high position.

"What the hell is going on you bastard fox?!" Naruto yelled in shock. The Kyuubi merely snorted.

"**If you keep talking to me like that I'm not exactly inclined to answer, now am I? But since the clock is ticking at a faster pace, I supposed I'll have to answer."**

Naruto's brow furrowed. "What do you mean the clock is ticking at a faster pace?" The Kyuubi growled, snapping his jaws in irritation.

"**If you'd let me **_**finish**_** I'll explain. Now, you do know the purpose of this seal, right? And if you answer 'keep you imprisoned' I swear I'll swat you, seal or no seal." **

Naruto let out a growl of his own but thought about the question…Yes, the main purpose of the seal was to Kyuubi from harming anyone but it also allowed the bijuu's chakra to mix with his own safely…Ero-sennin had theorized that Naruto would eventually absorb all of Kyuubi's chakra, effectively killing the bijuu. His eye's widened as he thought of what Kyuubi had said…clocks ticking…faster rate… "Aw, hell no!" He clutched at his hair as he came to the realization. Kyuubi would've cocked an eyebrow, if he had one- the brat had actually figured it out…

"**Judging from your response you figured it out. If you haven't, I'll spell it out for your tiny mind- That damn Yondaime designed the seal so that our chakras could mix freely, with yours slowly absorbing my own. That perverted hermit was actually correct in his theory that given enough time you would absorb me completely. I think the seal was actually designed with that in mind. But at the original rate, it would've taken you another fifty years to completely absorb my chakra. However, your Yondaime failed to take into account that you might actively draw on my chakra- and the effects that would bring." **

The Kitsune paused for breath, and to see how the blonde would react from the news this far. Well, the brat had fallen down in shock, but he was still breathing…fairly normally and he was still listening. Good enough. He took another deep breath before continuing.

"**It was a combination of two things that have actually weakened the seal- One, your actively drawing on my chakra- that weakened the seal a little but not much. But when that snake-freak cut my chakra off from yours completely, it started building up. And when that pervert reopened the connection, all that built up chakra rushed out into your system and that further weakened the seal. And by the seal weakening, I mean more of my chakra is leaking into your system- enough that your chakra can't convert it. And tha-Hey, are you still listening to me?" **

The Kitsune broke off, seeing Naruto fall backwards into the pool of water and lay there spread-eagle looking up at the hidden ceiling. The Kitsune growled and a small slither of chakra slipped between the battered bars of his prison and nudged the boy. He heard a slight groan, and withdrew his chakra back into his cage as Naruto heaved himself up onto his feet.

"I got it from here. My chakra can't absorb yours because there's too much, and so since yours is the stronger chakra it absorbs _mine. _And with the seal weakened, my own chakra won't get a chance to get stronger. So eventually I'll have absorbed all of your chakra- and have nothing left of my own..."

"**Which is what essentially makes you human."**

"WHAAAAAA'?" Naruto's eyes bulged out as he took in that notion.

"**You heard me gaki." **Kyuubi's glowing eyes narrowed only to widen as Naruto's eyes rolled back in his head, and the boy's body fell limply to the floor and faded from the Kyuubi's view as the boy's mind returned to consciousness.

* * *

Kakashi's eye narrowed as he and his team stopped in the final straggling trees that stood before the landscape dissolved into a sand filled flatland, with rolling dunes. Sakura wiped the sweat from her brow, frowning slightly.

"Naruto, headed out into _this_? Why?" Kakashi glanced at her before shrugging.

"Who knows? You can ask him yourself when we find him. Pakkun, how close are we?"

The little pug sniffed the ground a few times before answering the jounin. "His scent's faint, mostly because of the wind, but we're close. Otherwise we might have lost the trail…" He trailed off as he realized the three humans had already taken off down the faint track visible. The dog sighed before scrambling to catch up with Kakashi and the genin.

He'd only been trotting for a few minutes when he heard the raised voice of Sakura. Pricking up his ears, he could faintly hear Kakashi's soothing voice issuing crisp orders, though Pakkun though he could detect a faint hint of panic as he drew closer, kicking up small spurts of sand as he sped up. He rounded a brief bend in the track, and skidded to a halt, spotting a limp orange form in Kakashi's arms. Sasuke held a pack in one hand and had his free hand over Sakura's mouth who was looking surprised.

The Uchiha uttered a grunt of satisfaction before removing his hand and looking at his teacher. "What's wrong with the dobe?"

Kakashi shifted Naruto until the unconscious genin was on his back and started walking. "Probably heat exhaustion- his body wasn't used to the hot climate and didn't adapt fast enough. He'll be fine once we get him back in Konoha."

With that, the jounin started back towards the forest, his genin following. Pakkun grumbled but followed silently once more.


	3. III

"Ngh…" Naruto's nose twitched as he stirred restlessly. He felt cooler, and he seemed to be lying on something a bit harder than sand. Cracking an eye open, he blinked in surprise. _When did the sky turned peach and pink? _Suddenly the sky rotated and called out. "Kakashi-sensei, he's awake!"

He winced, and rubbed at his ear. Then he sat up in surprise as he recognized the voice. Rubbing his eyes to clear them of sleep-tears he stared in shock. He was sitting at the base of a large tree in a tiny clearing. Feeling something wet and warm he looked down in surprise to see his black t-shirt that he wore underneath his orange jacket was wet and spread across his bare torso. As it started to fall, he quickly made a grab for it and held it to his chest, still looking around the clearing, stunned.

Sasuke had his back to him and was tending a fire. It was with a slight jolt of surprise that he realized that the sun was setting. Before he could do anything more, he was distracted by Kakashi walking over and crouched down next to him.

"Kakashi-sensei…what're you guys doing here? Is everything fine back home?" His mind was still trying to process the fact that his team was here. Kakashi merely smiled underneath his mask.

"We were worried about you." Naruto blinked as if slightly surprised at the notion- people caring about him. Especially right now…Shaking his head to clear his thoughts and to wake up a bit more Naruto mumbled a barely heard "What happened?"

Surprisingly enough, Sasuke was the one who answered his question. "Hn. You got heat exhaustion, dobe- luckily we were following you otherwise you might've gone off and died." Naruto's face reddened slightly and he stood up, pointing a finger accusingly at Sasuke.

"What're you doing following me teme! What d'yo-"

Before he could continue, a fist crashed roughly into his head. Instinctively his hands rose to clutch at the new injury. His t-shirt, which had already started to peel off his chest, fell to the forest floor. Naruto's eyes widen slightly as he made a grab for the shirt but the damage had already been done. He froze, hunching instinctively as he heard Sakura's small gasp as she caught sight of the various scars that crisscrossed his back.

Hearing Sakura's gasp, Sasuke turned around and Naruto winced as the Uchiha saw the scars on his chest and stomach. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to block out the horror and pity he pictured on Sakura's face. Feeling something cool trace a line along his back, Naruto shuddered deeply, resisting the urge to turn around and attack whoever it was- Probably Sakura.

"W-what happened Naruto?" He felt Sakura trace another line (probably following another scar's path) along his spine. Unable to control himself this time, he leapt away from his pink-haired teammate, nearly shouting his answer. "N-Nothing!"

Sasuke stood up, raising an eyebrow as he took in the multitude of scars marking the tanned skin of his comrade. "That's a whole lot of nothing there dobe." Naruto ignored him, spotting his orange jacket hanging from a nearby branch; he snagged the jacket and quickly slipped it on, zipping it closed. Feeling slightly calmer, he turned back to look at Sakura and Kakashi.

Sakura was watching him with a concerned and slightly confused gaze. Kakashi was watching the scene with a neutral face- he'd probably known from Naruto's file about the young genin's extensive scarring. Glancing out of the corner of his eye he spotted Sasuke who was merely looked at him with cold, uncaring eyes. A small part of him flinched away from those eyes, eyes that reminded him of the villagers. A small tremor ran through his body but he ignored it.

"Great, you've seen me; I hope that assuages your vast concerns over my wellbeing. Can I leave now?" He'd dropped part of his mask when he had woken up, it now slipped a little further. He took a step towards his pack, lying at the trunk of a nearby tree. Sasuke matched his step with another of his own.

"Big words dobe. Get them out of a dictionary?"

"How'd you know if you didn't look?"

"Grr…"

Both males glared at each other before Sakura up once more. "Would both of you stop it! We should go back to Konoha and when we get there, have a team talk!"

Naruto shook his head roughly, reaching down to grab his pack. "I'm not going back!" He said vehemently, adding in a softer undertone as another tremor raced across his shoulders, "Not where the villagers can get me." Sasuke raised an eyebrow, hearing the muttered aside.

"And why would the villagers want to 'get you'?" Naruto cringed at the Uchiha's tone. Trying to keep the memories of former Kyuubi Festivals at bay he stared back at the genin, silent. The dark-eyed youth continued speaking, connecting the dots mentally and verbally. "Unless…_they _were the ones who hurt you…those scars couldn't possible have been inflicted at once- you'd be dead." His gaze bore in Naruto's terrified eyes. "What'd you do to upset the villagers?"

Naruto had barely heard the question, he was too busy remembering.

_He was five, and he could barely wait to leave to go the Kyuubi Festival….on his way to the booths a small group of people, already smelling of sake intercepted his path. The leader roughly shoved the small Naruto against the nearest wall. _

"_Lookit, 's th' Kyu-…Kyuubu-…Kyuubabu-demon brat!" Naruto huddled terrified, caught totally by surprise when the man lashed out with a powerful punch that sent him sprawling. His cry of pain caught the attention of some others who joined the others in hurting him…_

"Not my fault…" He whispered. He was so caught up in the memories that he didn't feel the flaring pain in his stomach, didn't notice Sasuke's and Sakura's confused looks as his eyes changed from blue to red, his whisker birthmarks thickening as his canines grew, didn't notice his fingernails sharpening. "It was NEVER MY **FAULT**!" He roared, his voice changing to a deeper, raspier version on the last word.

He stood panting for a moment, glaring at his teammates. Sakura had fallen down in shock, Sasuke unconsciously activated his Sharingan. Kakashi had finally broken out of his lazy pose. He stepped forward, hands held out, and palms toward Naruto. "Naruto, calm down! We're not going to hurt you…we wouldn't let the villagers hurt you wh-" He cut off by a harsh bark of laughter that emerged from Naruto's deepened vocal chords. "**Ha! That's what the ANBU said, every year but where were they when the villagers beat me?! They'd always show up after the fact! I would be a bloody ball, curled in some alley before they came!**"

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly as he heard his teammate describe his experiences. Naruto's slit pupils were completely dilated, mere lines of black hidden in a sea of hot crimson. Sakura sat on the floor, completely taken aback by the change in her teammate. Kakashi stood silent once again, trying to decide what to do. Seeming to make up his mind, he cautiously stepped forward to shake Sakura out of her stunned stupor.

Naruto's eyes snapped on to him, clawed fingertips flexing. Sasuke spotted his hostile behavior and instinctively drew a kunai from the pouch at his side, ready to defeat his teammate from…his other teammate. Naruto caught sight of the matte-black weapon and his eyes widened in horror. He took a stumbling step backwards as an aura of red chakra swirled into existence around him. Squinting, Sasuke's could make out a vague fox-shape…there was even a tail, lashing in agitation.

Naruto could barely breath, so great was the terror that invaded his mind when Sasuke drew that kunai- _No he's going to hurt, he wants to hurt me, like all the others, the others, the mobs, so mad at me, so hurtful, he's going kick me and beat me and laugh at my pain just like all the others- _**"Don't hurt me!" **With that terrified cry, Naruto lunged away from the group, barely pausing to snatch the strap of his pack.

Sasuke swore vehemently, catching the attention of both his teammates. He looked at them, deadly serious before gazing after Naruto.

"Dammit…What caused him to react so violently to me drawing a kunai?"

"If I remember right, the mobs that used to chase him favored all sorts of weapons," Kakashi's voice has lost it's normal lazy drawl and was serious.

Both remaining members turned to their teacher. "Mobs?!" They all but shouted. Kakashi declined to answer but instead took off; following the rather obvious trail Naruto had left in his flight.

* * *

**Oi. Gaki.**

Naruto ignored the voice in his head; it could barely be heard by his panicked thoughts as he flew the trees with no sense of direction except for one- away. He had to get AWAY! He'd being fleeing for five minutes straight, ignoring the mental voice that wasn't his until his stomach finally flared in pain, great enough to make him drop to the ground, near a small stream. He lay there winded for a few moments, his mind reeling in shock- what had done that?

**Feh, baka. And here I though you actually used that brain of yours on occasion- only for it to turn out that you're as dumb as your mask. To think that I'm stuck sealed inside a pathetic container such as you…**

"Damn fox! What'd you do to me?!" Naruto flung himself upright, finally taking notice of the changes to his body. He glared at his clawed hands for a moment before crawling to the stream edge to look at himself. He flinched away from his distorted reflection cast a red glow over the water.

_**I**_** didn't do anything- you were the one who got so caught up in your own memories that you pulled on my chakra- congratulations I think the seal weakened a little more. With the amount of my chakra now circulating your system I wouldn't be surprised if something started changing **_**now. **_

"What do you mean?"

**I would've explained in our earlier conversation had you not fainted. Surely you can't expect to have your pathetic human chakra to convert to my own, more potent youki without serious effects? I told you before, your chakra is what's keeping you human- by the time all of my chakra's done converting yours you'll be a full-fledged Kitsune. And a nine-tailed one at that. **

Naruto blanched at the thought. He heard the Kyuubi chuckle throatily in the back his mind and sensed the Kitsune's…presence withdraw from his mind. Taking a deep breath, the blonde bent down to steal a drink from the stream. He was afraid that the chakra surrounding him would cause the water to steam, but to his relief the chakra aura dispersed, and though he still retained the other bestial qualities, he was able to drink freely. The water was cold and clear, it soothed Naruto's mouth and throat. After a few second he stopped and withdrew, wiping his mouth free of any remaining water. He stood and went to sit by his pack, which he dropped when he'd fallen.

He propped the bag against a tree and lay against that as he tried to come to grips of what had happened in the last half-day; forget the seal he would think about it later. He'd barely had a minute to think when he felt familiar chakras near the clearing. Closing his eyes, he stood up, back to where he felt the chakra presences.

"What part of 'I'm not coming back' do you not get?" He stated simply (secretly happy that his voice had returned to normal) before turning around to look at his teammates. Sakura still looked like she was in a state of shock but she was moving. Sasuke had put away his kunai, and Kakashi was still on edge. This time it was Sakura who spoke.

"B-b-because we're y-your team-m-mates- and teammates shouldn't keep secrets from each!" All three leapt down from whatever trees they had been standing on to stand near Naruto. He watched them warily.

"And what makes you think I'll tell you?" He asked softly, fists tightening. Kakashi spoke up, mildly surprising.

"Because they're your teammates, and won't react half as badly as you think." Naruto leveled his crimson glare at his teacher.

"Forgive me if I'm not exactly willing to test that statement."

"Naruto, you might as well since they've seen you…like this."

Naruto merely growled in response. He picked up his pack and slung it over his shoulders, preparing to leave. He barely heard Sasuke's frustrated snarl before the boy's hand latched onto his shoulder in a surprisingly strong grip.

"Dobe, just tell us."

"I don't think so, teme. Don't you know that you should back off when someone tells you to?"

"Might've heard of it."

Naruto growled deep in his chest, before whipping around and latching a clawed hand around Sasuke's wrist, and the other clamping around the genin's throat. Sakura gasped in horror and Kakashi started forward, but stopped when Naruto's hand tightened ever so slightly around Sasuke's throat, drawing blood.

"You want to know a secret so badly, I'll tell you one- but if I find you following me I swear I won't be responsible for my actions. You got that?" Sasuke nodded as much as he could, instead, trying to focus on breathing what little air Naruto gave him. Naruto spotted Sakura nodding out of the corner of his eye. Slightly loosening his hold on Sasuke's throat, Naruto looked at Kakashi who sighed and reluctantly nodded. Naruto growled with satisfaction before speaking again.

"Gaara's not the only one of his kind," was the almost-growled sentence, Naruto pointedly flicking his gaze towards Kakashi before he released Sasuke who stumbled back, rubbing his throat and wrist, which was also bleeding. With a final look at his team, Naruto stalked off into the forest, quietly disappearing rather quickly from someone dressed in eye-blinding orange.

**

* * *

**

The remaining members of Team 7 stood there for a few minutes in shock- well, Sasuke and Sakura did. Kakashi watched them cautiously, wondering how they would react. Finally he broke the silence when it appeared neither genin was going to speak.

"Well then, I guess we'd better get back." His voice was a little more subdued, but otherwise he sounded normal. When Sakura sent him an incredulous look, he held up his hands defensively. "Look, there aren't exactly a lot of options- We could try following Naruto, but I think that would be beneficial to our health; he's made it clear that he needs and wants to get away. And since he's on a travel pass, he's free to do so. We should head back to Konoha, report to Tsunade-sama and then…go on with life as usual."

"That's going to be rather hard without the dobe- but I don't think we'll be able to get him to come back." Sasuke finally spoke up, his voice a tad hoarse from the recent assault on his throat. He massaged it a few times before walking over to stand next to Kakashi. Sakura still looked vaguely uncertain but nodded unhappily. Slowly the three shinobi turned around and head for home.

---

Tsunade raised her eyebrow as Team 7 entered her office. Sakura seemed to be thinking hard about something, while Sasuke was rubbing at some bandages around his neck and one of his wrists. Kakashi was silent, but his posture showed he was very worried.

"Do I want to even know?" She finally asked after a moment. Sakura jolted out of her thoughts and looked over at her other teammates. Kakashi sighed heavily before relying, rubbing the back of his neck.

"We found Naruto…he resisted any idea of coming back to Konoha. He grew agitated enough to draw on…the other chakra." Tsunade's eye widened and they darted to Sasuke and Sakura.

"Do they…?" She asked, half-dreading the answer. Kakashi shook his, smirking under his mask slightly

"No, they haven't figured it out. Spent most of the way back trying to though."

Tsunade frowned at the two silent genin before speaking. "Sasuke, Sakura you're dismissed. I need to talk to Kakashi in private."

The pair nodded silently and left, Sakura muttering something under her breath to Sasuke who merely shrugged. As the pair left, Shizune entered carrying another stack of paperwork for her master. Tsunade eyed the stack of paperwork before turning her attention to her ever-faithful assistant. "Shizune, I need you to find the white-haired pervert for me. And tell him it's about Naruto."

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the late update for those of you on the East Coast...Been a long day for me .**


	4. IV

**AN: My deepest apologies, my excuses are at the bottom.**

* * *

  
Tsunade, the Slug Sannin, granddaughter of the Shodaime and Godaime Hokage of Konoha glared at the group of people before her. This group was known for making trouble, and yet always seemed to slip out of the blame they so richly deserved. Taking a deep breath, trying to calm herself she forced a smile onto her face.

"Honored Council Elders. What can I do for you?" _You filthy old power-seeking buzzards. _The two Elders looked at each other before Koharu spoke.

"We've spoken with you on this topic many times over the last three years. I believe you know what, or rather whom we wish to discuss" Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples before replying in what was a near growl.

"Naruto."

"The Uzumaki boy has gone for three years Tsunade- do you really think he's coming back?" Homura spoke now, adjusting his glasses. Tsunade sent him an icy look, folding her arms. "May I remind you that I and Jiraiya also left the village on travel passes for a number of years before returning?"

"Yes, but that was different, Sandaime and we were certain of your loyalty…"

"And Naruto is no less loyal to Konoha than Jiraiya? Or me? That boy is loyal to his birthplace to a fault! One would think he would be less loyal, given his youth…"

Her last comment was a careful insult to the Elders, seeing as they themselves had not obeyed the Yondaime's dying wish. Koharu bowed her head briefly, in acceptance of Tsunade's point. Before they could make a rebuttal, Tsunade spoke again. "If you wish to know more of Naruto, I suggest you speak with my teammate. He's kept in contact Naruto while he's been gone and would know more than I."

To make it especially clear that the subject was closed, Tsunade turned her attention to a report from the Mission Room. Silently the Elders exchanged a glance and left the room. When she heard the door shut Tsunade let out a sigh of relief and reached under her desk for the small bottle of sake she kept for occasions like this. Taking a small sip she leaned her head back against the wall.

"How much of that did you hear, you old pervert?" She asked to seemingly empty air as she closed her eyes, and tossed to bottle towards a nearby open window. The air shimmered and the Gama-sennin, Jiraiya appeared as he neatly caught the sake bottle before taking a sip for himself.

"All of it." He answered a moment later. "Why'd you have to tell him that I'd know more? I haven't seen the brat more than a handful of times since he left."

"That's more than anyone else in this village. When did you last see him anyway?"

"Feh, a couple of months ago. He was visiting the Sand Siblings over in Suna. He seemed pretty happy- healthy too."

"Really now?" Tsunade mused, picking up a random mission request and approving it. "He make any mention of visiting us in the near future?"

"Define 'near'," Jiraiya chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. Tsunade sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Next six months."

"Eheheh, no."

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. "Sometimes I wonder if he's ever going to return…Half the time I'm tempted to send out a search team comprised of some of his friends to hunt him down."

Jiraiya laughed, shaking his head. Tsunade glanced at him questioningly. "If you wanted Naruto back, send out that Academy teacher. He'd drag Naruto back home by his ear and make him do detention." Tsunade chuckled at the idea, it was probably true. She'd heard stories of Iruka chasing Naruto all over Konoha, roaring at the blonde to get back to class and clean up the mess.

"So you pervert, why'd you come here in the first place?"

* * *

Tsunade sighed as she flipped the light switch and spotted the same cloaked figure sitting in her chair, boots thrown casually atop her desk. Pinching her nose to stave off a headache she looked at the figure, to make sure he was there- he was. Just like last time…

"_Ugh…Five in the morning is way too early for any normal person to be up, not to mention be working." Tsunade grumbled as she entered her office. As she reached for the light switch she froze and a kunai appeared in her hand. She promptly threw the blade in the direction of her desk as she hit the switch._

_A metallic clang was heard as her kunai rebounded off something metal. A cloaked figure sat calmly in the chair behind her desk, boots thrown casually atop the surface, her kunai firmly wedged in the hilt ring of another kunai that the figure held calmly. As if they didn't notice her, the person inspected both kunai, removing hers with a grunt of effort._

"_Tsk, tsk, Tsunade-sama. So quick to attack an ally and friend? And with such force…you notched the ring." The unknown figure spoke in a rumbling voice that held a slightly raspy edge to it. Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the casual tone. She watched as the person removed their boots from her desk and pocketed both kunai._

"_Who are you?" She finally asked, finding no hint of a threat in the stranger's movements._

"_Merely a poor wandering fox." The stranger replied, a pair of crimson eyes flashing from beneath the hood of his cloak. _

_Tsunade quirked an eyebrow, recognizing the name."And what would the infamous Wandering Kitsune be doing in the Hokage's office? Don't you have a town to save from bandits or something?" She smirked lightly as the eyes narrowed. _

"_Ah…so you have heard of some of my deeds. To answer your question, I was in Ta no Kuni when a young viper raided the village of the inn I was staying at it. Well, normally I would've beaten them back and be done with it when I caught a glimpse of his face. Friend of my described him most vividly, and swore to bring him back here when he heard that Uchiha had deserted Konoha." _

_Tsunade wondered who say such a promise before focusing in on the shinobi's tale. "Well, now the matter was personal. I beat back his underlings and knocked him unconsciousness. Double-checked to make sure I had the right man before coming to make my delivery."_

_At that point the wandering shinobi leaned over and with a clawed hand hoisted a limp body bound with wire by its long black bangs. "You lose this?" The Kitsune asked in a dry tone as Tsunade's mouth dropped open at the sight of Uchiha Sasuke's bruised face. She rushed over to her desk and took the limp figure from the mysterious shinobi's hands. Barely breathing, she confirmed that the unconscious teen was in fact the younger Uchiha. _

"_I would've simply left him on your desk but a friend of mine asked me to deliver a message- that and I wanted to make sure that the Uchiha was actually in your custody."_

_Tsunade barely spared him a glance as she checked the Uchiha for wounds. "What message did you have to deliver?" She asked distractedly. When she received no reply, she looked up only to find an empty seat staring at her. Shaking her head, she loudly called for some ANBU._

"Nice that you could finally join us Tsunade-hime." Jiraiya spoke up from his post, leaning on the wall behind her desk. "What do you want?" She asked, sighing as she walked over to her desk. The figure stood up, presenting her chair with an amused look in his crimson eyes.

"Heard you were looking for me…What could the great Godaime Hokage wish to do with the Wandering Kitsune?"

Tsunade took her seat and reached for her sake bottle as she regarded cloaked man before her. Taking a sip, she sighed again. "Your delivery's little curse seal is cracking through the restrictive seals Jiraiya placed on it. We'd heard that you might know a Seal Master who could help us out."

She watched red eyes half-close as if thinking, the owner folding his arms under his cloak. After a few minutes of silence the cloaked shinobi shifted, clearing his throat a little. "I do know of a Seal Master, the only problem would be trying to get her to leave and come here- she's very, ah, stubborn. But, she might not be enough to help….you'd almost need the Yondaime for this kind of thing..."

Jiraiya started slightly, a guiltily thoughtful look spreading across his features. Tsunade caught it and promptly chucked a scroll at him. "Jiraiya you idiot, don't even think about it. We don't need to stoop to _his _level to deal with something lik-"

The door slammed open and a familiar pink-haired kunoichi stood there painting, clutching at her bleeding forearm. "Tsunade-sama! Uchiha Sasuke nearly broke free! He's subdued and under a heavy sedative but he manage to kill two ANBU and injured three- the injured ones are fine with Shizune at the hospital…" She trailed off, noticing the cloaked figure. Tsunade caught her confused look and quickly introduced the pair to each other.

"Ah, Kitsune-san, meet my apprentice Haruno Sakura. Sakura, Kitsune-san was called in on a consult- ironically about the Uchiha."

"Hajimemashite Haruno-san." Kitsune quickly bowed. Sakura returned the gesture, hand still clamped over her injury. Tsunade frowned slightly, standing up and walking over to her apprentice. Gesturing for Sakura to show her, her arm she briefly examined the injury before healing it in a glow of green chakra.

"How'd you get hurt?" Kitsune inquired in an almost casual tone. Sakura turned a slight red before replying. "While attempting to escape, Uchiha managed to get his hands on a kunai. He sliced me when I injected the sedative."

All three shinobi winced, Kitsune letting out a slight growl. "He's lost much of what little respect I still gave him. To stoop so low as to harm a former teammate…"

He broke off suddenly as Sakura stared at him. "How'd you know Sasuke and I were on a team together?"

"I know your other teammate." Kitsune replied somewhat reluctantly. "Naruto-san spoke highly of you both- well until he'd heard that the Uchiha had run off to the 'snake-raping pedophile'. His words, not mine."

Sakura straightened, her eyes brightening at the mention of her other teammate. "You know Naruto? How is he, where's he a-"

"Why don't you go and help Shizune with those injured ANBU?" Tsunade broke in, giving the girl a shove towards the door. Sakura nodded, looking slightly confused and quickly left. Shutting the door with a sigh Tsunade turned to look at two still remaining in the room. Jiraiya's expression had darkened and Kitsune's eyes were narrowed in anger as he spoke.

"We're not going to have time to go and fetch my master if the seals have degraded this far. What other alternative Jiraiya-san was thinking of, you might seriously start considering it."

Tsunade grimaced. "I don't exactly think the Council will agree…using such a forbidden technique."

Jiraiya nodded his face still serious. "We might not have a choice, if the Uchiha breaks free, Orochimaru gets back his precious host and Konoha gains a powerful enemy."

Kitsune shifted somewhat uncomfortably. "What technique are you talking about?" He asked in a slightly puzzled tone. Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged a look before Jiraiya quickly explained the basic of the technique Orochimaru had created for his evil and perverted purposes. Kitsune was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "So you really could resurrect the Yondaime…" Jiraiya nodded in response, his eyes holding a far away look as he fondly remembered his brilliant student.

Kitsune shifted, an arm digging for something beneath his cloak. "I'll have to think about it, and I believe that you two will have to discuss this with Council- but before I go, Naruto-san asked me to deliver this to you." He withdrew a scroll and tossed it at Tsunade before heading for the door. "I'll just give you some privacy." He said quietly, leaving the office.

Tsunade hmmed a response, amber eyes already skimming the handwriting. Jiraiya grumbled and shifted from foot to foot somewhat uncomfortably as she read the letter in silence. Finally she rolled the scroll back up carefully and set it to one side before fixing Jiraiya with a glare strong enough to cause the great man to start shivering in fear.

"You," she stated in a steely tone, "have some explaining to do." He smiled feebly, mentally telling his legs to keep supporting him.

"I do?"

"Oh you do. And you can start by telling me what the hell Naruto means by 'learning to control the last of my tails'."

Jiraiya paled slightly and muttered something about crazy brats who didn't know when to keep their mouths shut. "Well…there's a reason why Naruto's been gone for so long…and it's not just the villagers. Well, it was the villagers but they've always not liked him so in a way it's not them an-"

"You're babbling, get onwith it." Tsunade growled, gesturing for Jiraiya to get to the point. Sighing and drawing a hand across his face, the toad summoner sat down before continuing, and his expression serious.

"Originally when he left, Naruto was planning to come back in a week and a half. He just wanted to be out of the village during the Kyuubi Festival- he was planning to stay with the Suna jinchuuriki, Gaara. From what he told me, he passed out apparently from heat exhaustion. Naturally he was drawn to the seal chamber." Jiraiya paused to shudder slightly; from what Naruto had described it wasn't too pleasant a place. "He noticed that the representation of the seal was looking a little banged up, almost as if the fox had tried to escape- No don't worry, let me finish. Apparently the fox didn't try to escape; the seal itself was changing; weakening actually."

Tsunade drew in a sharp breath, amber eyes worried. "The seal is weakening?" She asked in a low voice. Jiraiya nodded before continuing.

"From what the fox and Naruto have been able to figure out is that the seal wasn't designed with the fact that Naruto might actively draw on the Kyuubi's chakra- that alone would've weakened the seal only a little. But when Orochimaru blocked Naruto's access to Kyuubi's chakra during the Chuunin Exam, the small amount of the fox's chakra that was supposed to be leaking into Naruto's system to be absorbed started building up behind Orochimaru's seal. When I released that seal, apparently all of the pent up chakra was released into Naruto's system."

Jiraiya paused to take a few breaths, apparently thinking. He held up a hand, in warning.

"Just to let you know this is the part where the Kyuubi's knowledge is greater than mine since he's had around 16 years to study the seal up close. Apparently because Naruto's system couldn't absorb all of the pent up chakra, the fox's started absorbing _Naruto's _chakra. The seal was weakened by all this, so a greater amount of Kyuubi's chakra was being released into Naruto's system. According to the fox, the stronger chakra absorbs the weaker. So it's Kyuubi's chakra absorbing Naruto's. And Naruto's chakra was what was keeping him human; it acted like a buffer between him and the Kyuubi. With that buffer gone, the fox's chakra started actually changing Naruto."

"….What do you mean, changing him?" Tsunade said. Jiraiya looked down at the floor, elbows resting on his knees, hands loosely clasped. "Naruto…The fox's chakra changed him into a kitsune himself."

Silence descended upon the pair as Tsunade sat back in shock while Jiraiya watched his teammate. After a few minutes, Tsunade's hand blindly groped until it found her sake bottle and she took several long pulls. Finally she stopped and he noticed tears trailing down her face as she put down the bottle. Hastily wiping her eyes she took a deep shuddering breath.

"So he's been gone because he's becoming a kitsune…" She murmured in a disbelieving tone.

Jiraiya nodded softly. "Since the Kyuubi's chakra will become Naruto's, he'll have all nine tails- last time I saw him he had just gained the eighth tail. From what you said, it seems he's learning to control the final tail…" He trailed off thinking. After a few moments, he shook his head and looked back at Tsunade.

"You alright?" He asked. She smiled slightly, shrugging.

"A part of me is almost proud of him- isn't nine tails the highest amount a fox can gain?"

"Yeah…what about the other parts of you?"

"Part of me wants to beat him for ever actively drawing on Kyuubi's chakra; another is worried sick about what the villagers and what they'll do to him. And the Hokage part of me is wondering if he'll turn against the village…" She was slightly reassured by Jiraiya's vehement head shake.

"The day that Naruto turns against this village is the day I renounce my Icha Icha series."

Tsunade's eyebrow twitched but before she could punch him, the door opened to reveal a tired looking Shizune. "The ANBU injured in Sasuke's escape attempt are in stable condition Tsunade-sama…." She said, sagging against the door. Tsunade nodded absently, her mind still focused on the thought of a kitsune Naruto. "Shizune, before you go home to rest, send out a Council Summons." Shizune nodded before leaving.

* * *

**AN: I am so very sorry for the late update but my laptop, Sig, has just about kicked the bucket. I should be getting a new laptop but I don't know when. What is annoying is my mother's desktop Dell [that also wants to die] refuses to recognize any of my jump drives. So, to make up for the lateness, you get a triple update! **


	5. V

Kitsune walked down the street, neatly dodging civilians as he headed for a familiar looking stand with a white and red banner. He ducked underneath it, taking a stool before clearing his throat to catch the attention of the old chef who was cooking in back.

"Ne, Teuchi-san- how 'bout a bowl of beef ramen for a long gone customer?" he called out, grinning as he removed the hood of his cloak, revealing black hair with crimson dyed tips and cheerful green eyes. The old man whirled around in surprise, smiling as he spotted the young man seated at his counter.

"Kitsune! What're you doing here in Konoha? The last time I saw you…when was that?"

"When I dropped off a package named Uchiha. May I remind you that that was also the first time you'd seen me?"

"Ah, yes…Here's your ramen Kitsune." The old chef proudly served the sixteen year old a steaming bowl of ramen. Grinning, the young man grabbed a pair of chopsticks.

"Naruto-san sends his regards by the way." He commented before starting to eat his meal.

Teuchi chuckled as he moved back to clean the counters, shaking his head. "Of course, Kitsune. If only he'd come back, business is lagging without his help…" Kitsune smiled sadly as he slurped up the last of his broth. "He'll be back Teuchi-san, don't worry. I'll tell him that you want him back, next time I see him."

Teuchi nodded once, absently checking to make sure the current batch of ramen wasn't burning. When he came back, Kitsune was gone and the cash for his meal was sitting on a napkin that had a quick note scribbled on it.

_Thanks for the meal, see you next time- Kitsune_

* * *

Tsunade let out a heavy sigh as the Council members filed into her office. She and Jiraiya had spent the past few hours trying to figure any other way they could possibly restrain Sasuke without having to resort to Orochimaru's technique. Unfortunately, they had been unable to come up with any other solution. Now she, Jiraiya and Kitsune watched as the Clan Heads and Council Elders settled themselves in the chairs provided, Tsunade stood up.

"As you might've heard, Uchiha Sasuke attempted to escape from his prison today- he was successfully restrained and sedated but at the cost of two ANBU killed and three injured. Jiraiya informs me that the restrictive seals he placed on the Uchiha's curse seal are barely holding back the seal's power- as was demonstrated today. We'd known that the restrictive seals were steadily weakening, but not at such a fast rate- Jiraiya planned to bring in an outside consultant to see if they could help."

"Who did he wish to bring in?" A curious member asked. Tsunade glanced at her two companions and motioned for Kitsune to speak for himself. The man nodded, and stepped forward.

"Myself, actually. Or someone that I knew could help." The council member eyed the cloaked man with a suspicious look.

"Who are you?" Kitsune shrugged amiably, replying with a slight smile that showed his impressive canines.

"Merely a poor wandering fox." This caught the attention of almost every Council member's eyes to widen slightly. Before the barrage of questions could start Tsunade spoke.

"Kitsune and Jiraiya are acquaintances and Jiraiya asked Kitsune if he knew of a Seal Master. He does, but by the time he and Jiraiya came back with that Seal Master, the Uchiha would have broken free- and most likely heading back to Orochimaru."

"We can't have that happening" Hyuuga Hiashi spoke up in his calm voice and the others nodded in agreement, looking at Tsunade expectantly.

"I trust you three have an alternative?" Yamanaka Inoichi inquired, cocking a pale blonde eyebrow.

"Jiraiya and I have an idea, but well- you won't like any more than we do…" Tsunade stated grimly before Jiraiya spoke up and explained the proposal. A few seconds of dead silence ensued after he finished the explanation before almost everyone in the council started yelling at once.

"We can't go resurrecting the Yondaime for something like this!" Koharu spoke first

"It's almost sacrilegious!" Homura's statement followed closely after Koharu's.

"Doesn't that jutsu require a sacrifice?" Shikaku asked seriously, for once

"We can't just stoop to Orochimaru's level!" Inuzuka Tsume barked out her opinion, her nin-ken agreeing with a nod. Tsunade rubbed her temples briefly as the other Clan Heads put in their negative opinions as well.

"Enough!" She finally barked, and blessed silence returned. "Let me make this clear- everyone person in this room doesn't not wish use that jutsu. But unless you have another solution, this is probably our only option right now." Glaring around the room, she watched as the Council slowly sat down. "If anyone one else has a suggestion, we'd like to hear it- Otherwise Jiraiya will probably perform the technique shortly after this meeting is adjourned."

The Council members looked at each and Koharu sighed heavily. "It appears we have no choice…" She murmured. "If we are all in agreement?" Heads nodded heavily and Koharu continued. "Fine, Godaime-sama you have the approval and support of the Konoha Council in the matter of dealing with Uchiha Sasuke."

Tsunade bowed in thanks and watched the Council members file out, murmuring amongst themselves. After everyone had left the three remaining shinobi all sat down with a collective sigh, Tsunade reaching for a bottle of sake.

* * *

Three Hours Later

"So when are you going to tell Tsunade that the infamous Kitsune is you, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked as he and Naruto walked through the forest to perform the resurrection jutsu. The cloak hood was shaken back to reveal long blonde spiky hair with crimson tips, gathered into a low ponytail. A clawed hand came up and brushed away a few errant strands fell in front of crimson eyes, just barely brushing thickened whisker marks that distorted as Naruto responded, flashing the slight fangs hidden in his mouth.

"I'm not sure…" Naruto frowned as he thought about it. "Probably after this mess with Sasuke is taken care off. I do have control over all my tails now, and Kyuubi's going to be gone by my next birthday. I'm surprised the old fuzz ball hasn't actually disappeared yet…." He trailed off thoughtfully as Jiraiya stopped on the edge of a large clearing.

"Ah, this will work nicely. You ready for this?" Jiraiya muttered under his breath to Naruto as the boy discarded his cloak. Crimson eyes glanced over at his former mentor and narrowed. Naruto clenched his fists slightly, feeling his claws easily break through the skin. "Not really, I'm even sure _why _I'm here Ero-sennin."

Jiraiya sighed mournfully and glanced up at the sky. "I almost wish you wouldn't' reveal yourself- that Kitsune persona is actually respectful." That drew an amused chuckle from Naruto.

"Basic tactic in hiding yourself- adopt a personality the opposite of your own. Jokes aside, why I am here to watch the resurrection of the man who is almost personally responsible for my early childhood?"

"Because I'm not sure if this will work- you're my backup. Sure, when Orochimaru uses the jutsu he's fine, but he's only summoned people who were only dead."

"_Only_ dead? Are you telling me there are levels of deadness?"

"Shut up gaki. My point is, the Yondaime is stuck inside the Shinigami's belly, and the Death God might want something a little extra to fish him out."

Naruto growled slightly but accepted the explanation with a nod before moving to the edge of the clearing as Jiraiya too a deep breath before starting the handseals required. Finally Jiraiya bit his thumb, ignoring the pain with the ease of long practice and cried out the jutsu's name.

"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei!" Jiraiya slammed his palm to the ground and stood there for a moment as he and Naruto both waited. After a few minutes Jiraiya stood up hesitantly while Naruto appeared unsure. Looking around he sent a glare at Jiraiya who held up his hands defensively. "Hey don't look at me; I put most of my chakra in that!"

"Great, you can be the one who tells Tsunade that while I try to get Mas-" Naruto broke off mid-retort as he spotted a ghostly figure slowly materializing. As the details became clearer he dropped into a respectful crouch with his head bowed as Jiraiya gulped nervously.

_Foolish ningen…what have you summoned me for this time? The bijuu have all been sealed, what more do you need of my power? _The Shinigami spoke in an old hissing voice that sent chills down Jiraiya's spine. Bowing deeply, Jiraiya spoke.

"We did not call you for your power, but rather one held _in _your power. Your stomach to be precise…." Jiraiya trailed of as the Shinigami sent him an icy look. _You seek one of the_ _Shiki Fuujin users? You'll need more than a pitiful offering of chakra to gain back one of their souls._

"What else would you require Shinigami-sama?" Jiraiya asked respectfully. The Shinigami chuckled wryly before replying.

_Nothing you can give me ningen…your companion on the other hand…_ Naruto cautiously glanced up from his bow. _Stand up, holder of the Kyuubi, and Kyuubi himself. _

Naruto stood, wondering what the Shinigami wanted. He met the Shinigami's eyes with an even gaze, as the death god studied him for a moment. _Ye-es….I remember you. The offering I require is not a terribly expensive one, but something specific- Blood for blood is all I ask from you. _

Naruto's eyes hardened at the statement- It'd been Kyuubi's most recent birthday gift to him, the knowledge of his lineage. He'd spent most of his birthday destroying the rocky terrain surrounding him- he'd been in Iwa at the time- in his anger- his greatest hero not only turned out to be the man who destroyed his chance at a normal life; he also turned out to be his father. His musing was cut short by the Shinigami's growl. _My time is precious Kyuubi, do not waste much more of it. If you wish to call back the one who sealed your predecessor I suggest you hold out your arm._

Without a word, Naruto slowly lifted his right arm and held it with his palm facing up. The Shinigami smiled slightly before reaching out with a clawed fingertip to carve a gash that extended from Naruto's elbow to the middle of his palm; neatly collecting a sample of the kitsune's blood as Naruto's face blanched an interesting shade of white from the pain.

While the death god licked the collected blood, Naruto fell to one knee as his left hand instinctively clasped over the wound. Jiraiya quickly walked over to his student and wrapped up the gash as the Shinigami reached an arm down his own throat and pulled out a familiar blonde-haired figure, clad in a standard jounin uniform, hidden underneath a white billowing sleeveless coat with a bottom border of flames. The death god set the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato on the ground somewhat gently before fading away with a final chuckle.

"Shimatta…blood for blood my ass; that hurt as if I grew three tails at once!" Naruto muttered through clenched teeth. Jiraiya chuckled feebly before patting him on the shoulder as he rose to check on the other blonde left in the clearing.

Crouching next to the former Hokage, Jiraiya was pleased to his chest rising and falling steadily. Reaching out with a large hand, the Sannin gently shook the man's shoulder. Minato stirred and cracked open a bleary blue eye. "Ngh…Sarutobi, let me rest a bit before the next spar…" His voice trailed off as he saw that his awakener was not the Third. Jiraiya smiled crookedly. "Hey, gaki. Welcome back to the land of the living."

Minato sat up in shock, looking about him in confusion. "Wha'…Ero-sensei? This is definitely _not _the Shinigami's stomach!" Jiraiya twitched and restrained a growl, instead hauling the still-stunned Fourth to his feet. "C'mon, we'll explain more one you're in Tsunade-hime's office." Minato nodded dazedly, a question forming in his mind. "How'd you bring me back…? Last time I checked there wasn't a convenient Resurrection no Jutsu lying about."

"Orochimaru." Minato turned his head to see a cloaked Naruto, standing with his arms folded. Naruto swallowed, trying to restrain the urge to throttle the former Hokage for answers. "This jutsu was his creation, though in your circumstance there was an additional price…" Naruto broke off, not trusting his voice to hide his anger. Instead he rummaged in his pouch with his right hand, pulling out a small scroll. "Blood for blood, Yondaime-sama." He stated, tossing the scroll at the Hokage before leaving the clearing.

Jiraiya sighed, looking down at the forest floor as the Yondaime unrolled the scroll to find it was a storage scroll. Absently biting his thumb, the blonde smeared some blood across the seal and was mildly surprised to see a cloak appear. Jiraiya nodded in approval.

"Who was that? And what do I need this for?" Minato asked as he held the cloak against himself.

Jiraiya whacked him upside the head before replying. "Baka, you've been dead for sixteen years. If people see you walk down the street they'll freak. And the owner of that cloak is a traveling shinobi, aptly termed the Wandering Kitsune."

"Friendly guy, I see." Jiraiya shrugged as he watched his former student settle the cloak over his shoulders and flip up the hood to cover his face. "He's not so bad once you get to know him actually. I think's he's just having a bad day."

Minato cracked a smile and the pair set off back towards Konoha.

* * *

Naruto stalked down the road back to Konoha, fists tightly clenched beneath his cloak. Sure, he'd realized that they'd be resurrecting the Yondaime Hokage, sealer of the Kyuubi, but he hadn't been prepared for the shock and anger he'd felt when he saw the man lying there as if he'd merely fallen asleep. He was so caught up by his thoughts that he barely noticed where he was walking.

**Not that I don't mind or anything, but if you don't stop releasing that killing intent, the ANBU behind you might decide to attack. **Naruto jumped a little as Kyuubi spoke up in the back of his mind. Sighing, the teenager paused long enough to stop leaking the murderous energy that had caught the attention of at least two ANBU if the chakra signatures were anything to go by. _Sorry, Kyubbi. It's just that when I saw him just lying there I just wanted to slam him against a tree and demand answers…I just felt so _angry _at him. _

"My apologies, ANBU-san; I did not realize I was leaking killing intent." He broke off from his mental explanation to apologize to the masked figures that stood in two trees. After he felt their chakra signatures retreat, Kyuubi provided his own mental explanation. **It's not just your anger kitling; it's my own as well. When I first got sealed, I at least had the satisfaction of knowing that my sealer was dead- He could have the decency to remain **_**dead**_**!**

Naruto nodded mentally before he focused on his surroundings once more, feeling slightly surprised to see that his feet had led him through Konoha and to the top of the Hokage Monument. He'd often come here to be alone and to think when he was younger. Smiling slightly, he peered out over the edge of the Fourth's head before climbing down to perch behind a stone spike of hair. Leaning his head back against the cool stone, Naruto let out a sigh and closed his eyes.

* * *

Sasuke opened his eyes with a barely perceptible groan, not too surprised to find that he'd been blindfolded. Feeling something missing, he ran a quick check over himself, to find that almost all of his chakra had been sealed while he'd been sedated. In trying to shift to a more comfortable position, he found he'd also been bound to his bed.

"You know, you're a lot more trouble than you're worth Uchiha." Sasuke's lips twitched into a sneer as he recognized the voice of Godaime Hokage.

"If I'm so much trouble, why not let me go?" He asked in a sardonic tone. He was rewarded with a snort of derisive laughter from the busty healer.

"I'd rather try to keep you here than have you run back to Orochimaru's loving arms."

"You won't be able to for much longer, not with those restrictive seals weakening- my curse seal's eating at them even as we speak." Sasuke smirked, thinking of when he'd be free of this place, back gaining power with Orochimaru.

"Ah, funny you'd say that…we've actually managed to find a Seal Master who could probably remove the snake's love bite once and for all if given the time." He vaguely recognized the Sannin Jiraiya's voice. Sasuke felt a sharp stab of icy fear for a moment, but he hid it.

"And what makes you think I'll let anyone near my curse seal?" He asked in an icy tone. "This seal is going to give me the power to kill my bro-"

"Spare us the avenger speech, we've heard it before." Tsunade roughly interrupted the younger Uchiha before continuing. "We didn't come here for a pleasant chit-chat; we actually have a small proposition for you."Sasuke raised an eyebrow but stayed silent, which Tsunade took as a good sign, and gestured for Jiraiya to speak.

"We're going to let you fight, an opponent of Tsunade's and my choosing. If you win, we won't touch the hickey of doom. But if your opponent wins, we get to do anything we want to the love bite." Jiraiya spoke in a serious tone, smirking as he saw Sasuke twitch minutely at the nicknames he gave Orochimaru's seal. After a few moments of silence, Sasuke spoke up, an evil smile spreading.

"Who do I get to fight?" He asked. There was a silence before a new voice spoke, a low growl that Sasuke remembered all too well. It was right next to his ear, and Sasuke felt the speaker casually slice away the blindfold. "**Miss me?**" Sasuke winced as bright moonlight made his pupils' contract. As he blinked away tears of pain, he growled at the sight of a familiar cloaked figure.

"**Aw, the Uchiha remembers me- I'm touched.**" Kitsune spoke in a mocking tone, deeper than his usual voice, placing a bandaged palm over his chest. Sasuke glared at the man before him, as if that alone would kill the shinobi who was responsible for his involuntary return to Konoha.

"What is _he _doing here?" The Uchiha ground out from between clenched teeth.

Tsunade smirked, arms folded across her ample bosom. "He helped us bring back that Seal Master Jiraiya mentioned."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, but he maintained his cool and arrogant façade. Firmly telling himself to calm down, he glanced at the two Sannins in the room.

"When's the fight?" He asked with a smirk.

* * *

**AN: Second part of the triple update. The first major change appears next chapter!**


	6. VI

"Konoha's changed a lot since I've been gone…" Minato commented somewhat wistfully from top of the Hokage Monument. Jiraiya cocked his head and smiled ironically at his former student.

"Things tend to do that when you're dead." He commented, and Minato laughed, turning away from looking over nighttime Konoha. Jiraiya watched as his student meandered over the monument, probably still processing all of what he'd been told in Tsunade's office. Jiraiya was pulled from his silent observations when Minato spoke up again.

"Ne, Ero-sensei?"

"What is it gaki?"

"Can we go get some ramen?" Jiraiya groaned at the wheedling tone he heard in Minato's voice- he sounded just like Naruto. Or Naruto sounded just like him. Dragging a hand over his face, the pervert let out a long suffering sigh.

"Why did I know I was eventually going to hear that request?"

"Because you know me that well?"

"Yeah…put on a henge and we can go get some."

"Woohoo!"

Jiraiya chuckled at Minato's exclamation before the former Hokage put on a simple henge, one that changed his golden blonde locks to a dull brown and shifted his eyes to a greener tone of blue. His clothes changed from the standard jounin uniform to a simple black t-shirt over some loose tan cargo pants. Jiraiya nodded in approval and the pair set out for Ichiraku Ramen.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he nursed his shrimp ramen, under his usual henge. He'd been here since he'd left the hospital, thinking about the fight that had been arranged to be held in Konoha Stadium in about three days. He was confident that he could beat Sasuke; after all he'd done it once before- but could he escape with his persona intact? His thoughts were interrupted by Kyuubi's mental warning of: _**He's **_**coming your way kitling- I'd suggest you pack up and move.**

_Let me finish the bowl and then I leave- I should probably find a hotel or take a chance on using my old apartment. _Naruto thought back at his tenant who merely rumbled and retreated from Naruto's perception. He'd just picked up his chopsticks to fish after the last of his noodles when he spotted a familiar mane of white hair. He scowled slightly as he watched Jiraiya and an unfamiliar man sit a few stools down from him. Despite the changed appearance, Naruto could tell it was the Yondaime from the powerful chakra signature.

"Ne, Teuchi-san; I think this is it for me. How much do I owe this time?" He called out to the old chef who wandered over to tally up his meal.

"Only 27 yen this time." Naruto pulled out his wallet and dug out the required cash, handing it to the old man.

Teuchi nodded and placed the money in his apron. "Thanks- when do you think you'll be leaving Konoha?"

Naruto paused, and shrugged. "Probably within a week- why?"

"Just curious. Give my regards to Naruto when you see him next?"

Naruto winced mentally but nodded with a smile. "Of course Teuchi-san." The old man smiled and Naruto turned to leave when he heard Minato call out his persona's name. Steeling himself, he turned back.

"Yes?" He asked in a polite tone, while mentally telling the Kyuubi to stop growling and stay out of his mind. Green-blue eyes studied him for a moment before their owner spoke.

"You know Naruto?" Minato spoke in a soft tone. Kitsune glanced at Jiraiya who shrugged minutely before nodding shortly.

"Hai. We traveled together for a time after he left Konoha and I see him often in my travels."

"Sou ka…How is he doing?" Minato smiled slightly, henged eyes slightly unfocused.

"Very well. I last spotted him in Iwa, traveling." Kitsune shifted uncomfortably, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

"Was he…happy?" The traveling shinobi felt his fangs grow ever so slightly

"Happier than he was here in Konoha. If you'll excuse me, I have to find a hotel." With a short bow, Naruto walked away at least a block before he took to the roofs and fled to his old apartment, not wanting to pay for a hotel room.

Entering through an open window he was extremely surprised to find everything was still there, and that furthermore, there were additions. Several more rugs had been placed on the floor in front of a large TV that he definitely could not have owned. Some bean bags were scattered about with some food related debris. Looking around in shock, he spotted pictures littering the walls, all of the various teams of the Rookie Nine.

Too tired to make sense of the changes in his apartment, Naruto stumbled down the hallway and into his bedroom which had remained untouched to his relief. Stripping off his cloak, and crawling under the covers of his bed, Naruto slept.

* * *

Sasuke smirked as his ANBU guards released him from his bonds on the familiar arena floor. He flexed his wrists to help his blood flow increase. His ANBU guards disappeared after a moment and Tsunade stepped forward to explain the rules.

"This will be a free-form match between Uchiha Sasuke and the shinobi known as the Wandering Kitsune," she intoned, "I will start the match then retreat to the competitor's platform to watch. The match will end when one of you is either dead," she glanced at Sasuke, "or incapacitated." This time she looked at Kitsune.

Both contestants nodded in silent agreement of the rules and Tsunade raised her arm before bringing it down in a decisive chop. "Hajime!"

Sasuke darted forward, eager to start the match. He quickly pulled a kunai out before launching it at the cloaked figure before him. Kitsune merely dodged to one side while pulling out a kunai of his own, crimson eye narrowed calculatingly as he watched his opponent.

"**What, not going to use your so-called precious Sharingan?**" Kitsune taunted as he appeared to bounce lightly on his feet.

Sasuke snarled at his opponent before retorting. "I won't need it to deal with trash like you!"

This drew a low chuckle in response from Kitsune who darted forward suddenly, a kunai grasped in one hand, flinging a scatter of shuriken from the other. Sasuke blocked them easily with a second kunai he drew from the pouch on his leg. A clang was heard as both kunai struck each other several times in quick succession as their owners tried the defenses of the other.

Finally Sasuke retreated, carefully studying Kitsune's movements. Sasuke felt his eye twitch slightly as he saw Kitsune was still bouncing slightly. Was there a purpose, he wondered, or was the cloaked shinobi just that excited…What ever the reason, Sasuke threw the kunai in his hand before following it to press a taijutsu attack while Kitsune knocked the kunai out of the way. Crimson eyes widened a fraction as he watched Sasuke's fist approach him at high speeds. He jumped back, not far enough to evade the punch, but enough to lessen the impact.

Sasuke smirked as he watched Kitsune stumble slightly from the punch, quickly delivering a fast roundhouse kick that caught Kitsune in the side and made him stagger. However, Kitsune managed to keep his balance long enough to manage a powerful leap towards Sasuke, a fist readied. Sasuke dodged and turned to watch Kitsune roll into a controlled tumble that brought him back to his feet and bouncing.

Before Kitsune could bounce more than four or five times, Sasuke formed familiar hand seals before cupping his first two fingers and thumb before his mouth. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" He yelled before exhaling the large fireball that gave the technique its name. As the jutsu ended, Sasuke felt a small sense of satisfaction at not seeing a bouncing figure. "Well that was a fast match," he murmured before his eyes widened, Sharingan instinctively activating as he felt someone behind him. He whirled in time to hiss in pain as a kunai grazed across his left arm and across his chest. He leapt back before Kitsune could strike a harsher blow.

Kitsune chuckled and help up the bloodied kunai. "**First blood's mine, Uchiha.**" He stated, calmly licking the blade before spitting out a mixture of blood and spit. "**Feh! I'd forgotten- cursed clan, bad blood.**" Kitsune back-pedaled furiously as Sasuke launched towards him with a serious of fast punches and kicks. Kitsune managed to block most of them and dodge out of the way of the few that came close to hitting.

"**Ooh, did I make someone mad?**" Kitsune taunted, eyes glittering as he leapt to one side to avoid a particularly vicious axe-kick. Sasuke stood up, breathing heavily from the fast attacks he'd used. It burned him that his opponent stood there so calmly, not even showing so much as a sign of fatigue, even with the huge leaps and bounds Kitsune had used to escape his attacks.

_Why can't I hit him?! _Sasuke thought angrily. _I'm using the Sharingan but all that shows me is that he's going to continue bouncing up and down like a kid on his birthday! _Suddenly he whacked himself mentally for not seeing it before. _His cloak…it hides his body movement, so I can't anticipate his next moves…We'll have to change that. _Sasuke smirked slightly and had the pleasure of watching red eyes, other than his own, narrow.

Kitsune felt his stomach drop as he watched Sasuke smirk before performing several hand seals. His eyes narrowed then widened as Sasuke called out the technique's name.

"Katon: Hosenka no jutsu!" Several small fireballs spewed from Sasuke's mouth, all heading for Kitsune who cursed under his breath before forming hand seals of his own for the first time.

"**Doton: ****Doryūheki**** no jutsu!" **Kitsune quickly spewed a flood of mud from his mouth that formed a defensive wall from Sasuke's technique.

Sasuke frowned slightly, before leaping over the wall Kitsune had created; ready to use another Katon jutsu. He looked around in confusion as he didn't see anyone behind the earthen barrier. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted movement, some cloth flapping- He whirled and leapt out of the way of a fox shape that appeared to be made out of…flames? The flaming kitsune hit the earthen barrier and exploded outwards. As Sasuke landed, he spotted his chance as his cloaked opponent leapt to another attack point. Sasuke's eyes narrowed into red slits as he formed the hand seals he'd memorized long ago.

He aimed carefully as he gathered chakra in his chest before expelling it out all at once, shouting the name of the jutsu. "Katon: Karyuu Endan!" A large dragon of flames exploded towards the falling figure. Sasuke smirked as he saw the dragon hit the plummeting man square in the chest. He once more turned around, thinking the match was done. Finding the spectator's platform he searched for Tsunade's, a victory sneer already in place.

"**TEME!**" Sasuke froze as he heard the name. Only person had dared called him that…He turned, disbelieving to see a heavily panting, extremely different-looking, but recognizable Naruto. Sharingan eyes memorized every detail- The wild blonde spikes, the ends a deep crimson; the burning, scorching crimsons eyes; the broad, jagged whiskers lines; the serrated fangs that extended past his lip.

But the changes that shocked Sasuke the most were the numerous tails that lashed from side to side in anger and the murderous look on Naruto's face. The Uchiha could almost feel the weight of Naruto's sakki swirling around him, pressing down…

"**Surprise teme.**" Naruto's voice was a low harsh growl, as he stalked towards Sasuke, clawed hands open and tensed, ready to strike. Sasuke watched as Naruto took each slow step forward, his bare feetpadding softly in the dirt. Naruto actually bobbed with each step as he walked on the balls of his feet. Wordlessly checking to see if he was in a genjutsu, Sasuke finally attempted to speak only to find that shock had frozen his vocal chords.

Shaking his head, the Uchiha tried to focus back on the fight- He had to win, no matter who his opponent was. Glaring right back at Naruto, Sasuke grabbed a trio of kunai and hurled them towards his former teammate.

Naruto knocked away Sasuke's kunai with a tail and crouched before leaping and tackling the Uchiha. They rolled about on the ground for a moment before Naruto managed to pin Sasuke's arms with his knees, tails twining around Sasuke's knees to keep him from a counter.

Quickly before the raven-haired boy could use his Sharingan, Naruto reached with a clawed hand and forced the Uchiha's head back and with the other hand, held a kunai to the pale throat. Sasuke, who had been struggling to break free, froze as he felt the cold steel touch his jugular artery.

"**Dead.**" Naruto spoke the single word in a low growl. Sasuke managed a tiny nod and was relieved to feel Naruto release him and remove the kunai from his throat. He stared up at his changed ex-teammate with wide eyes for a moment before Naruto roughly shoved himself to his feet.

Barely sparing a glance towards the spectator's booth Naruto stalked off the field, tails still lashing angrily. Sasuke slowly stood up and rubbed his neck, his mind still trying to process what he'd seen. When his ANBU guards appeared to take him back to his cell, he didn't protest or resist in his usual fashion but just walked quietly; wondering what had happened to his ex-teammate in his absence.

* * *

Up in the spectator's booth, Jiraiya was the subject of a very intense and very angry glare. When he tried to take a subtle, or so he hoped, step towards the door, several kunai perforated the wall beside his head. Tsunade was the first to speak, in a deadly tone.

"You knew." When Jiraiya didn't say anything in defense she continued. "You knew and YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING?!" She lashed out with a punch that caught the large man on the jaw and sent him staggering. "Why the hell didn't you tell me that the so-called Wandering Kitsune was Naruto?!" She hit him several more times and he didn't dodge a single hit, taking the abuse silently for the most part. Finally the irate blonde stopped and Jiraiya stood up slowly.

"What good would've it done for you to know?" He said simply. Tsunade opened her mouth to unleash an angry retort only to find none. She closed her mouth and folded her arms. Jiraiya cautiously approached her and wrapped her in a loose embrace. Tsunade stiffened for a moment before relaxing. After another moment, she realized that Minato had disappeared.

"Where'd Minato go?" She asked, puzzled. Jiraiya chuckled and cocked his head toward the door. "Tore outta here after Naruto like a bat out of hell." Tsunade laughed at that as well before working her way out of Jiraiya's arms.

* * *

**AN: Mmr. Tsunade and her pervert aren't cooperating much for a side pairing. Don't worry, they'll still be in there, just not until [spoiler-taped] happens. So, Naruto lost his fox legs since they weren't really working but I think the next chapter makes up for it...See you all next week! **


	7. VII

_Idiot! After three years of solid persona work, ruined because you couldn't dodge a katon jutsu! Now Sasuke knows and baa-chan and my so-called father..._Naruto barely had enough thought to cover his changed appearance with his normal illusion as he stalked out of Konoha Stadium. Glancing around the bustling streets, he wondered where he could get away- the training grounds were probably filled with teams, and he doubted that his apartment was study enough to stand up to his destructive tendencies… Letting out a small growl, the kitsune started off towards the one place that was usually empty at this time of day and always managed to soothe his temper.

* * *

Minato barely spared a glance for Jiraiya, instead running after Kits- no, _Naruto, _his son. Skidding to a halt at the stadium door, he raked his eyes over the busy city, searching for a hint of familiar hair or anything Naruto. When he failed to locate any clue he sagged briefly before mentally hitting himself. _Baka, just look for his chakra! _

Taking a deep a breath, the blonde man calmed himself and started to extend to his chakra, feeling out the unique chakra that identified Naruto and Naruto alone. After a few moments, he found him making his way up to the top of Hokage Monument. He followed the chakra to a small stand of trees. When he heard sounds of fighting, his pace quickened till he came to the edge of the clearing he stopped in surprise.

A huge mass of human Narutos and wolf sized nine-tailed foxes filled the clearing, the humans viscously fighting in an animalistic style that more resembled the Inuzuka style of taijutsu than anything else- and even then the style seemed even more brutal than that. Minato watched in amazement as one Naruto tore out the throat of another with his fangs before leaping to claw the fox to nearest him. Both "slain" opponents disappeared with poofs of smoke. The brutal fighting continued until only one human Naruto was left, fighting a fox.

They circled each other warily, baring their fangs and snarling, snapping growls echoed from their chests as they balanced on their feet, all muscles tensed and ready. Finally, Naruto leapt forward in a powerful leap with claws outstretched. The fox dodged neatly and whirled as Naruto stumbled, quickly pressing his advantage by making a leap of his own that bowled the stumbling Naruto over. Naruto slashed angrily with his claws, managing to land a strike on the fox's chest before two tails pinned his wrists. The fox paused for a moment, as if savoring his victory before his muzzle darted down in a savage bite that spattered blood everyone.

Minato let out an inadvertent gasp, feeling slightly relieved when Naruto on the ground dispersed with a small poof of smoke. His gasp caught the attention of the fox who instantly tensed into a battle-ready crouch, looking up with molten eyes of crimson that seemed to lack any human intelligence at all…Minato's hand twitched for his kunai pouch but stopped when Naruto's pose relaxed somewhat and he saw a wary intelligence enter his eyes. The fox- Naruto- stood shifting his weight from paw to paw as he watched the blonde man.

After a few minutes of silence, Naruto broke it with an angry snarl. "**What do you want, **_**Yon. Dai. Me. Sama?**_" Minato flinched at the formaility and tried to think of a response. Somehow, "I wanted to see you", just didn't quite cut it. And judging from Naruto's tense and angry pose, "Hey son!" would be a dangerous thing to do. So he attempted something of a compromise.

"I wanted to talk to you. It's been sixteen years…" He shrugged, praying that this approach would work.

Naruto growled softly, claws flexing slightly as he glared at the forest floor. **"Sixteen years since you condemned me to the cursed life of a Jinchuuriki you mean. Fourteen years since the first assassination attempt. Eleven years since the villagers started beating me on my **_**birthday. **_**Seven years since someone finally acknowledged me. Four years since I became a genin. And three years since I left this damn village!"**

With every sentence, Naruto advanced a step on the last; he reared onto his hind paws and planted his front paws on Minato's shoulders, pushing the older man against a nearby tree. When the blonde made a move as if to escape, a muzzle filled with sharp fangs latched onto the skin lightly covering his jugular artery. Naruto's jaws tightened dangerously as Naruto glared straight up into Minato's eyes. Kyuubi was chuckling with delight as he scented the fear that was rolling off the trapped blonde in waves, but Naruto ignored him.

"**I swear…give me one fucking reason why I shouldn't tear out your throat…" **Naruto snarled under his breath. Minato's eyes seemed to widen, though that could've been due to the fact that he could feel the hot, panting breath of his own son on his neck, as the same son prepared to kill him.

"Would it…help at all…if I said I was…sorry?" He managed to breathe out, his face paling. Naruto stopped for a moment considering the idea. His eyes seemed to glaze over briefly, but he twitched his ears while shaking his head from side to side, growling under his breath. Minato waited patiently for the kitsune to make up his mind, trying not to think about the teeth which had pierced his skin and the blood trickling down his neck.

He got his answer when Naruto sucked in a growling breath before releasing the bite hold on his throat and dropped down to all fours and backing up. A swirl of fire and wind surrounded Naruto and when the flames had cleared, a….mostly human Naruto stood up. Red eyes that had held a murderous glare a minute ago, now glanced warily at him.

Minato stood silently, taking the chance to observe his grown son. The blonde stood straight and proud, hands curled loosely into fists by his sides. Blonde hair, much like his own, framed a sharper, leaner face; the tips matching Naruto's eyes. Some of the hair trailed behind him, gathered in a low ponytail with a strip of bandaging. For some reason, the sixteen year old had abandoned shirts and stood; clad only in an open vest and a loose pair of pants with a sash acting as a belt.

Minato's could feel his heart constrict into a painful lump as he observed the blood sliding down Naruto's chest from the slashes on his chest; crisscrossing a few of the visible scars.

Trying to distract himself from what the scarring implied, Minato observed the nine tails that waved through the air behind Naruto before swirling into a single larger, fluffier tail.

A restless growl distracted him from his thoughts as Naruto twitched his head to one side. The teen spotted Minato's concerned look and bared his teeth- fangs more like- and jutted out his jaw belligerently. "What," Naruto growled.

Minato shook his head silently before asking one question. "What…what happened? The seal…."

"The seal changed." Naruto said in a flat tone of voice. Minato's eyes widened silently- that little piece of information had been left out of his debriefing with Tsunade and Jiraiya. Naruto sucked on his teeth for a sec, eyes narrowing. "Didn't get mentioned?" Silent nod. Naruto raised his lip in a silent sneer before moving to leave the clearing. "Ask Ero-sennin about it," he said flatly when Minato stepped towards him. "He'll have the most technical version since he helped when Minako-shisou analyzed the changes."

Minato opened his mouth to object but Naruto was gone, a swirl of scorched leaves the only sign of his passing. The former Hokage's eyebrow quirked- Most shinobi were able to use the Shunshin jutsu without a trace, but preferred not to, when in their home villages. It also wasn't uncommon for shinobi to…personalize their Shunshin, with the materials they left in their wake. Most Konoha Jounin just used fresh leaves, though Minato had known of a couple who used specific leaves or other plant matter as a mark. Kakashi for instance, only used maple leaves while Jiraiya liked to use leaves from rosebushes.

Crouching next to the remains of Naruto's Shunshin, Minato absently chewed on the inside of his upper lip as he sorted out the plants. In a few minutes, he was left with three small piles of leaves, all from various regions of Fire Country. The first pile, nine leaves in total, were from Konoha, plain oak leaves. The second piles, also numbered nine, were from the Fire-Wave border, from a white ash tree. The last piles, numbering nine leaves in an obvious pattern, were from the Rice- or rather Sound- border and from a birch tree.

All the leaves were scorched as if someone had take matches to them, but three leaves from each pile were also sliced neatly around the edges. Tapping a birch leaf to his lips, Minato smiled slightly. Fuuton users were so used to imbuing things with wind-natured chakra that it sometimes bled over into their Shunshin- Jiraiya had commented it briefly when Minato had gained jounin status and had been flitting about Konoha to find his friends.

* * *

Jiraiya turned away from the window, frowning slightly. Tsunade glanced up from the paperwork Naruto's win had caused her- she had forms to fill out regarding the research Minato mentioned he'd be doing on the curse and the fact that Minato and probably Jiraiya and maybe even Naruto would need constant access to Sasuke. Minato's revival had caused a mountain of paperwork on its own...

"What're you frowning at, you old pervert," she muttered, still scribbling on a research grant.

Jiraiya sighed, tilting his head towards the window. "Minato's heading back here at a rather fast clip, but Naruto's still missing." He frowned as he peered at Minato's approaching figure. "…Shit."

Tsunade looked up to see Jiraiya rub his temple- an unspoken signal from their team days of injuries spotted. Putting down her pen, Tsunade groaned silently but stood up to peer down at Konoha's streets beside Jiraiya who silently pointed out the henged form of Minato, leaping across roofs towards Hokage Tower. She let out an audible hiss as she spotted the tell tale spatters of blood down the man's front. "Who in hell would be able to get close enough to actually get at his _neck_?"

Jiraiya shook his head and closed his eyes in defeat. "Naruto," was all the sennin said but it was enough for Tsunade to suck in her breath and fold her arms and regard her teammate with a neutral expression as he opened the window for Minato as the man landed easily on the ledge outside, dispelling his civilian henge. She would get the details she wanted later, but for now….She moved forward and shoved the bleeding blonde into the nearest chair and inspected the bite marks marring the delicate neck skin before letting healing chakra wreathe her fingers as she set to healing the marks.

Minato put up with the treatment, his gaze unfocused for a few moments before he almost glared up at his teacher. "You cover every major happening in Konoha, from the Cloud-Hyuuga incident to the Uchiha Clan massacre to the activities of Akatsuki and yet you fail to mention that the Kyuubi seal- my _greatest_, most singularly _important_, creation; the only thing standing between this village and the strongest bijuu in _existence_- has changed. Oh, and most of _my_ son's early life was apparently a living hell."

Jiraiya winced and opened his mouth before closing it again and sinking into the only other free chair. Tsunade kept one eye on the toad-user while frowning at the mostly healed marks marking the irate Minato's neck- they were almost rejecting treatment and would leave scars. Movement recaptured her interest as Jiraiya shifted so that he was staring up at the ceiling. His silence was not helping; Tsunade could feel the muscles in Minato's neck tightening as the man waited impatiently for an answer. Finally, when she thought Minato was going to snap out, Jiraiya spoke.

"Naruto was subject to almost complete social isolation until he was eleven. The villagers were…irrationally upset after your death. With Kushina gone, and I out on missions, they were free to treat him as they wanted. It never went beyond verbal abuse and refusing to serve him, except for the first week and a half of October. Various groups would attack him, beating him until the ANBU- led by Kakashi- would save him. Most of the doctors would refuse to heal him so, scarring was inevitable and intensive." Jiraiya's voice was almost completely detached, but the lack of emotion, as well as his refusal to look at Minato told a thousand stories within itself.

"According to his academic transcript, Naruto showed incredible talent for his first year at the Academy- years two through four showed almost the exact opposite. His teachers sabotaged his efforts until he simply stopped trying. For the last year, a chuunin named Umino Iruka tried to help him as much as possible.

"To make a long story shorter, Naruto graduated and was placed in Kakashi's care. Bonds developed and took root enough for the team to survive their first Chuunin Exam and the Sand-Sound invasion. That September, Naruto requested a travel pass and left with the intention to visit the Shukaku jinchuuriki in Suna for a week and a half before returning. According to Tsunade, he didn't mention anything to his teammates and they set out after him. They failed to catch him and Naruto made tracks for Nami to stay with friends."

"Not that I'm not interested in my son's early life, _what happened to the seal?_" Minato could feel his molars grinding as he glared at his teacher.

Jiraiya risked a glance at the former Hokage and flinched. "I was getting to that Minato-baka. Now calm down before Tsunade sedates you." The older man straightened his spine and looked straight at his student who reluctantly forced himself to relax. "Now. The seals you used on the Kyuubi are undoubtedly some of the best ever created but you were in a hurry. Even with us both looking over the designs for bugs, we missed two. You allowed for Naruto to be able to draw on some of the Kyuubi's chakra, but only a limited amount. We forgot that Naruto might draw on more than the allotted amount, thus straining and weakening the seal- bug one."

Minato frowned at the thought of messing up on a seal like that. "Still," he muttered, "that alone, shouldn't have weakened the seal enough for Naruto to-" he stopped, not wanting to say it. _To lose his humanity. _

Jiraiya nodded, black eyes narrowed and focused. "You also designed the seal so that Naruto would slowly convert the fox's chakra to his own, then human, chakra. This time we didn't think that Naruto's access to the fox's chakra would ever be blocked, and therefore, didn't create an inner storage space for the blocked chakra- bug two."

Minato twitched his chin in a slight nod as Tsunade finished healing his throat and pulled away to settled behind her desk, frowning as she waited for Jiraiya to continue his explanation. "During the Chuunin Exam, Orochimaru blocked Naruto's access to Kyuubi when Naruto tried to stop him from attacking his teammates. The build and eventual release of the Kyuubi's chakra, combined with Naruto's slight overuse of the fox's chakra allowed for the damn stuff to leak into Naruto's chakra coils at an accelerated rate- Naruto's own chakra was overwhelmed and absorbed until all that was left was youki.

"Naruto found this out shortly after leaving Konoha and got scared. He ran to Wave so that he could think and decide what he wanted to do. I tracked him down and, after warning him about Akatsuki and their plans, helped him plan out a new persona- Kitsune. He's wandered around the continent for the past three years, gaining control of his tails and the power they implied. We kept in touch and saw each on occasion but-"

"I think I get the point, Ero-sensei." Minato cracked a slight grin, rubbing at his throat and nodding his thanks to Tsunade.

She inclined her head slightly before frowning at the scars left on the blonde's throat. "I did the best I could, but those marks practically refused to heal at all- I suspect the scars are there to stay."

Jiraiya coughed slightly and both Hokages turned to look at him curiously. He had an apologetic look on his face as he explained, "It's a side effect of youki- any wounds inflicted are hard to heal and scar. Tsunade hasn't seen it because she'd already left the village when the Kyuubi attacked."

Minato nodded thoughtfully, his hand brushing over the rough skin. "Makes sense," he murmured softly before standing up. "I'd better get something to eat while thinking about how to tackle the curse seal. And I should probably looking into getting a hotel room or something-"

"That's….actually not necessary," Jiraiya interrupted hastily. Seeing Minato's confused look, he explained. "Your house actually survived the attack. I know you may not want to stay there for long, but it's better than paying for some hotel room."

Minato's face fell slightly as his eyes darkened in thought. "Yes, well….I'll take a look after getting some ramen."

Both Jiraiya and Tsunade nodded, and the Fifth suddenly remembered. "Oh…Minato. If you happen to see Naru-ah, Kitsune, could you tell him I need him here for something?"

Minato nodded absently, mentally grimacing- he doubted Naruto would like seeing him but still…Orders were orders, he thought wryly as he reapplied his henge and leapt out into the city.

* * *

**AN: And we finally hit the first major change in the story! I feel like I should write something more but I have my debate team over and they would shoot me if they knew what I was doing right now... **


	8. VIII

Naruto slouched unhappily as he slowly slurped up his ramen, eyes dark as he ruminated silently over his short confrontation with the Yondaime. The fox chuckled silently as the teen ate. _**Oh, I don't doubt he knows how you feel now…I still don't see why you couldn't have torn out his throat anyway. **_

Naruto rolled his eyes, while the kitsune was very knowledgeable about a great many subjects, he still tended to be a little bloody minded. _I thought it was obvious, _he thought back at his mentor, _we still need his expertise in dealing with the teme's cursed hickey. No point in bringing him back just to kill him ourselves. _

_**Tch! Speak for yourself, gaki…**_ The fox grumbled several other comments that Naruto ignored as he finished up his ramen and got ready to go back to his apartment. He had just shoved his stool back when the subject of his thoughts slid into an empty stool. Choking off a small growl, Naruto quietly paid for his meal when Minato spoke up.

"Tsunade-sama wanted to see you Kitsune." Minato's voice was quiet and subdued as he ordered a small bowl of chicken ramen before glancing cautiously at his son's stilled form.

Naruto glanced back at him before giving a jerky nod before leaving the small restaurant, leaping away into the encroaching dusk- hopefully on his way to see Tsunade.

---

Naruto leapt across the rooftops easily, crouching outside Tsunade's office window within a matter of minutes. Tsunade waved for him to enter, standing as he slid inside before closing the window. He turned to greet the blonde Hokage, just in time for her curled fist to meet his jaw with an audible crack as his head snapped to the side. Tsunade stood with her fist still extended as Naruto slowly rotated his neck and rubbed at the abused section of his jaw before quirking an eyebrow silently.

"That was for having to deal with the Council bastards who were clamoring to exile you or just give you nuke-nin status," was her icy explanation.

Naruto nodded slightly as Tsunade moved to sit back at her desk and he slouched comfortably in one of the two chairs before the desk. "Heard you wanted to see me," he almost drawled lazily.

Tsunade's eyebrow twitched but she only nodded; shuffling a few papers together and dumping them in her outbox. "I want you to work with Minato on removing the curse seal," she said bluntly and waited for his reaction.

She wasn't disappointed- Naruto sat bolt upright, eyes narrowed and fangs clenched as his claws pierced the cloth arms of the helpless chair. "You can't d-" He cut himself off mid-sentence and took a deep breath before trying again. "I have other responsibilities, _outside _of Konoha. My own little information network needs checking up on."

His voice was steady and calm, but Tsunade noticed his clenched jaw muscles and the icy look in his eyes. Sighing, she shook her head. "Naruto, your information network will survive without you for a few months- you could send out a message or even let Jiraiya maintain it. But Minato's been dead for sixteen years and there have been some advances in sealing-"

"Then have Ero-sennin help," Naruto almost growled. He shifted in his chair, wanting to pace or do something more physical than silently shredding the chair's fabric.

"He can't- his information network is much more expansive and he's been ferreting out as much information as he can find on Akatsuki and bringing in the reports. I need him in the field more than I need him here," Tsunade explained patiently.

"…" Naruto stayed silent, a small part of his mind wondering how quickly he could devise a new persona and escape while the other portion was tentatively trying to determine exactly how difficult undoing the curse seal would be. _Think about it this way kitling- The sooner this curse seal is removed, the sooner you will be able to leave again. _

Before Naruto could respond Tsunade spoke again. "Brat, don't make me revoke your traveling pass."

This time Naruto violently flinched at the thought of having to stay in the village, eyes closing for a moment before he let out a long sigh and tilted his head back. "That won't be necessary baa-chan," he muttered, eyes focused on the smooth plaster finish of the ceiling as his mind focused all of its attention on how to get rid of the curse seal.

Tsunade smiled slightly and nodded. "I'll tell Minato that you'll be working with him tomorrow. I'll give you both two days to get settled back into the village but then I want you to take a preliminary look at the curse seal to see what you're dealing with."

Naruto hmmed to himself and then nodded, trying his best not to think of how he was going to work with his so-called father. He stood up and absently fiddled with the ends of his sash before muttering a goodbye and leaping back out the window.

* * *

Minato stared up at the small house with a closed expression on his face before he resolutely placed his hand on the small name plaque by the low hanging gate; smiling slightly as he felt his security seals accept his pulse of chakra smoothly and heard the gate click open. Quietly he walked up the path to the small porch, absently kicking off his sandals before stepping onto the wooden platform, pulling out the small key he had gotten from Jiraiya and unlocking the front door. Surprisingly, the door didn't creak from want of oil on the hinges and the house seemed in good repair overall, though a thick layer of dust covered everything.

Minato slowed his pace to a shuffle to avoid creating a mini-dust storm and covered his mouth and nose with the collar of his shirt. The furniture was protected with covers, forming amorphous white lumps in the living room and kitchen as he passed them by to silently climb the stairs that led to the second level of the house. The stairs _did _creak but that was due to design, prompting a smile to appear beneath his cloth mask.

Minato paused at the top of the stairs, looking at the small hallway and its closed doors. The first two on the left led to the linen closet and upstairs bathroom respectively while the third door opened into the first guest room. Quickly checking on the second guest room and his study confirmed that, they too, had been undisturbed over the years. His eyes seemingly slid over the last two doors on the small landing and he didn't move to check on their condition as he drifted back down the stairs to see if there was anything left in the way of cleaning supplies

* * *

His stomach let out a satisfied let out a satisfied gurgle causing the Jinchuuriki to smirk as he gnawed at a few traces of remaining blood under his nail. _Considering that it's currently digesting two rats and a rabbit, it should be satisfied, _Naruto thought as he sprawled carelessly across his bed for a moment longer before pushing himself to his feet to pace throughout his apartment agitatedly; invisible tails twitching and switching restlessly as their owner tried to decide what to do.

_I was able to scout the forests a little while hunting for dinner but there's nothing nearby to challenge me…And if I go out in the village there's the chance of running into someone I knew- better to stay here. _Naruto stopped by the kitchen and almost pouted at the clean counters and tidy floors. _I can't even cle-_ A thought occurred to him that had him smiling and the Kyuubi groaning.

_**I know that humans stink and that taints your fake-furs but do you**_** have **_**to wash them**_**? **_**Especially since you don't exude the same odor you did when you were twelve? Who has ever heard of a **_**demon **_**doing gods-forsaken **_**laundry? _And out of_ boredom****!** Naruto grinned at the deprecating tone of Kyuubi's voice as the fox yowled in a mix of anguish and frustration.

_Call it a nervous habit or something- I just need to _do _something to keep me busy, _Naruto explained patiently as he pulled out his pack and started digging for the bags of dirty clothing he had. Kyuubi's only response was a low groan as his container started humming slightly.

Gathering all of the dirty clothes- when was the last time he had done laundry? - Naruto dumped them in one larger sack and grabbed detergent, stain remover, bleach and dryer sheets from the linen closet before carrying his load to the door. After making sure that his henge was firmly in place Naruto quietly slipped out the door and carrying his load down the rickety stairs to the apartment's large laundry room.

_Guess everyone's busy eating dinner, _Naruto thought to himself with a smile as he entered the empty room and looking at the humming washers and whirring dryers. Spotting two empty machines, Naruto quickly dumped his aromatic load of clothing on top of the dryer and started sorting his clothing, his hands separating the clothing automatically while the blonde set to some serious thought towards the curse seal.

_I know that the curse seal affects the victim's chakra and thought patterns- probably the reason while all of the curse seals I've seen have been place on the upper central torso and never on an easier target like an arm or leg. I've also seen that the seal causes great pain to the user on occasion- I wonder if that's something Orochimaru could control, it could explain how he keeps his more powerful, more temperamental shinobi under control…_

Sorting done, Naruto quickly shoved the largest bundle of clothing into the washer, quickly dumping a cupful of stain remover directly on the load, filler the dispenser with detergent and spun the temperature and washer settings to the appropriate settings before starting the washer with a smile.

_**Stupid human habits, **_was the only comment from the Kyuubi.

Naruto just smirked slightly and hushed the kitsune with a stray thought before pulling out a small notebook to jot down the more important ideas of his sealing thoughts, occasionally chewing on the top of his pen- a bad habit he had picked up from Jiraiya. _The _only _bad habit I've gotten from that pervert, thank gods, _the teen thought with a roll of his eyes. He could sense Kyuubi getting ready to make a comment when the door to the laundry room opened and Naruto raised his eyes in time to stare as his former teammate walked in, carrying an empty basket propped on one hip; stopping as she realized that she wasn't alone in the room.

The pair stood in stood in silence, silently studying each other for a moment before Naruto kicked himself and smiled as he silently slipped into his persona. "Konbon wa Sakura-san. It's nice to see you again." Kitsune spoke as he flipped his small notebook shut and slid back into his sash, stashing the pen behind his ear.

Sakura's eyebrows drew together slightly in concentration before she shook her head.

"Gomen nasai, but I don't recall meeting you before," she started in an apologetic tone only to be stopped by Kitsune's slight chuckle.

"Ah, a mistake on my part- I had forgotten. Last time was the first time we had met. I was still wearing my traveling cloak and your mind was on…other matters," he said, hands moving to organize the piles of laundry he had yet to wash into neater piles. Glancing to his right he saw Sakura lips mouth a name before she smiled brilliantly at him.

"Kitsune-san!" she exclaimed as she moved to one of the wall mounted dryers and opened its door. Kitsune turned to her and bowed in a comically extravagant fashion, a slight smirk on his lips.

"At your service Sakura-san. Though last I had heard from Naruto-kun, you did not live in his building…" Kitsune let his voice trail off as Sakura chuckled.

"I don't but my building's laundry room suffered a mishap involving a horde of small children, bubble bath soap and several containers of paint. I thought I would just sneak in here and use the facilities till my building had hired genin to clean and repair the damage. I had a load drying but then Tsunade-shishou called me to help with a case at the hospital," the pinkette explained as she hefted to the first bundle of clothing from the dryer and into her basket.

Kitsune nodded. "And so you sought to reclaim your belongings in peace, waiting till everyone would be busy eating dinner," he filled in the rest of her unspoken explanation himself, withholding another chuckle as Sakura nodded vigorously, dumping another load of still-heated clothes in her basket carelessly.

"I'd use my parent's washer and dryer, but they don't like being reminded of the- hmm…Uglier aspects of my career," Sakura commented dryly as she shut the dryer door.

Kitsune nodded, checking to the washer timer to see how much longer and wincing. Looking around the empty laundry room and eyeing the number of empty washers and dryers. "Screw this," he muttered under his breath, Naruto appearing for a moment before Kitsune moved towards the empty washers and opening them.

He walked back and grabbed two separate piles of laundry and dumping them unceremoniously into the waiting maws of the machines, doing the same to two other washers before doubling back to pour in the necessary bleach, detergent or fabric softener as needed and starting the machines. He turned with a satisfied smile to glance at Sakura who was looking rather amused herself.

"That's one way to do it I suppose," she commented as she hefted her loaded basket back onto the nearest row of standing dryers and started folding her clothing. Kitsune nodded slightly in response before hopping up to sit on a churning washer with a sigh. He leaned back and let his eyes close lazily, the vibrating washer relaxing his muscles as he let his thoughts drift.

_**Don't let your mind wander too far kit- it's too small to be out on its own**_, Kyuubi commented sardonically, withdrawing back into the depths of Naruto's mind before Naruto could retort. The henged blonde was almost willing to pay the fox a visit to return the favor but Sakura was still folding her clothing, looking as she was thinking hard about something.

"You looking like something is troubling you," he spoke quietly, barely audible over the humming machines.

Sakura looked up sharply as if startled before nodding hesitantly as she looked back down as she folded a shirt. "From what Tsunade-shishou and Jiraiya-sama have said, you have had the most contact with him out of anyone for the last three years."

Naruto internally flinched before retreating deeper into his persona. Kitsune nodded slowly, carmine eyes tracking the girl's movements as she folded what looked like pajama pants; wondering what he could say. Before he could open his mouth, Sakura spoke again. "Kitsune-san, why hasn't he come _home_?" There was a desperate, almost pleading quality to her voice now and Kitsune was surprised to see tears in her eyes as she looked at him.

Kitsune avoided her gaze, letting his gaze focus on his feet for a moment as he considered what he could say that wouldn't come back to haunt him or Naruto later.

"Naruto-kun had only planned to leave Konoha for a couple of weeks originally," he stated quietly. "But circumstances changed and he could not return to the village without placing his…his "precious people" in danger. Later, when he had heard that Uchiha Sasuke had left the village for Orochimaru, he swore not to return until he was strong enough to protect everyone." He paused to smile for a moment. "Originally he had planned to return with the Uchiha but I fear I wrecked that idea by delivering the traitor myself. Naruto-kun was quite angry with me for a while after that…"

Well actually, he'd been angry about Sasuke- the Uchiha had changed almost beyond recognition during his stay with the snake traitor. Not to mention that the avenger idiot had _reeked _of snake-scent and it wasn't from his own sum-

_BANG._

Kitsune stared in slight shock as Sakura easily slammed her dryer's door shut. She spun about jerkily on one heel to grab her basket before looking at him again, her eyes almost icy. "Three bloody, goddamn, _fucking_ years he's been gone," her voice matched her eyes as she glared at him. "And he still doesn't consider himself _strong_?" Kitsune watched, motionless, as Sakura moved towards the door. "Tell that idiot to get his ass back IN Konoha, where he _belongs _before I go and drag him back here myself, the next time you see him. Or worse- I'll just send Iruka-sensei to get him."

Naruto sat in the back of Kitsune's mind, stunned, as the wandering shinobi merely smiled and tilted his head to one side. "I will make sure he gets that message," was the cheerful response. Sakura smiled back at him and waved a quick goodbye before leaving the laundry room to return to her own apartment building.

A few silent minutes passed before Naruto pulled his legs up onto the washer and wrapped his arms around them, chin resting on a knee. _She…missed me? _The blonde thought, trying to fit this new Sakura in with his memories of the old, overly harsh and (sometimes) overly abusive Sakura who chased fruitlessly after Sasuke.

_**Doesn't your kind have some saying? Absence makes the heart grow fonder or some other sentimental bullshit?**_ Naruto rolled his eyes at the fox's comment before hopping off the dryer to check on the time remaining for the first load of laundry to be done.

* * *

**AN: More new scenes for the new chapter! What do you think of Naruto's habit? It kind of makes since- he's been living alone for most of his life so he had to have the basic skills to survive. As far as the switching between Naruto and Kitsune, think of it as Multiple Personality Disorder. Whenever Kitsune is in control, Naruto's personality just kinda sits in the back of his mind. However, when Naruto is in control, Kitsune _is not_ sitting in the back of Naruto's mind- don't worry about any plot line of Kitsune wanting to be in control of Naruto and starts messing with. It's a lot like the movie, The Mask since the mask never shows any ill intent towards the main character [I may be wrong though, I haven't seen the film in a loooooong time.] **


	9. IX

**AN: Oh my gods...My brain is mush. I am so done with AP testing. But enough about my brain mush- Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Two days later, Tsunade called both Naruto and Minato to her office, ready for them to start their work on the curse seal. The tension in the air was nearly palpable; enough to give Tsunade pause as she looked up to see both blondes standing stiffly, at least four feet of empty air between them. Minato seem semi-resigned to the situation though Tsunade thought she saw a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. Naruto on the other hand…he seemed to ignoring Minato's existence and trying to soothe a bad headache.

Ignoring the tension with practiced ease, Tsunade stood before addressing the silent duo. "I've given you both two days to get situated into the village- whatever else you have to do; you'll have to do on your own time. Sometime today I'd like you both to go to the ANBU holding cells and take at least a preliminary look at the Uchiha's curse seal and see what the damage is. Understood?"

She was rewarded with two short nods; Naruto's lagging a second behind Minato's. She smiled slightly and dismissed the pair, watching as Naruto almost bolted out the window with Minato following.

* * *

Naruto was well on his way back to his apartment when he felt the quick surge of chakra and skidded to an abrupt halt as the Yondaime appeared in front of him. Minato was panting slightly and held up his hands in a gesture of peace. Naruto drew back, Kyuubi growling in the back of his mind.

"Spar with me," Minato demanded, his eyes loosing the whipped-cur expression they had sported whenever he and Naruto were forced to be in the same room. When his saw Naruto's lips peeling back to bare his fangs he hurried to explain. "We're going to be working together as long as the Uchiha has that curse seal- our work would go that much faster if you would cooperate and collaborate with me instead of trying to act like every second you spend in my presence is torture."

Naruto sucked in a hissing breath at the last comment, eyes narrowing in thought. He slowly relaxed his lips so that his fangs were covered once more. A chance to fight the Yondaime, facing him in the next best thing to an actual no-holds-barred battle…

Spotting Naruto's indecisiveness, Minato added one last comment. "Think of it as stress relief," he commented, rewarded with a definitely pleased growl and Naruto flexing his short claws.

"I know just the place," Naruto offered, his eyes definitely gleaming with a predatory anticipation. "Follow me."

Without another word Naruto whipped around and sped off over the rooftops, easily scaling the irregular and eccentric architecture Konoha was known for. Minato followed him, mentally wincing as he saw that Naruto traveled on all fours just much as he adopted a bipedal stance. After several minutes high speed travel, the pair passed over the western wall and was traveling through the thick forest. Here among the heavy branches, Naruto seemed to speed up even more- he was using his claws for traction, Minato realized with a small start.

Just when Minato was starting to get worried, Naruto abruptly changed his angle, entering a large clearing. Minato stopped to stare around the area while Naruto plowed ungracefully into a large patch of-

"Is that _sand?_" Minato asked incredulously, noticing that the huge clearing- almost a field- was covered with several pits of the stuff.

Naruto wriggled about on his particular patch for a moment before nodding, seemingly pleased with himself. "Fallout from when I fought Subaku no Gaara."

Minato nodded, vaguely remembering the name from his debriefing with Jiraiya and Tsunade- the Chuunin Exam Invasion if he remembered correctly. Before he could remember any more details, Naruto stood up and shook himself roughly causing sand to fly every which way. Minato covered his eyes until the bombardment stopped. Cautiously peeking from around his hand Minato chuckled, watching as Naruto dumped out a few more handfuls of sand from his vest.

"So what are the limitations of the spar?" Naruto asked in a casual tone, brushing his hands off.

Minato blinked in surprise, not having given the matter any thought. "Uh…No deadly jutsu- so no Hiraishin or Rasengan for me, I don't know about you."

Naruto grunted. "Better stay in my human form then," he muttered before perking up. "First blood wins?" He asked with a feral grin.

Minato paused before nodding slightly. Both fighters took a few moments to stretch out their muscles before settling into their individual starting poses. Minato stood easily, adopting the Academy taijutsu stance. Naruto's lips twitched as he balanced on the balls of his feet, fingers relaxed by his sides as he leaned forward. Silence dominated the clearing for a moment before Naruto burst into action, leaping forward to lash out with his claws in a diagonal strike aimed for Minato's torso.

Minato backed up, easily batting away Naruto initial blows and ducked down to try land an attack on Naruto's chest. Something about Naruto's form niggled at the back of Minato's mind, causing the former Hokage to narrow his eyes in concentration as he rapidly ran through some of the more obscure forms some Konoha shinobi preferred. _He's not using a Konoha form, _Minato decided. They circled each other warily, Naruto's movement giving him no other clues as to his intention.

Minato edged closer to Naruto before lunging forward in a powerful combo of high kicks and low blows aimed at the legs; slightly displeased as Naruto easily dodged back and to the side. The older blonde had just settled on a new plan of attack when Naruto stepped back into a sand pit and smirked before forming a single hand sign and sinking down into the sands. Minato's eyes narrowed as Naruto cheekily waved at him before completely disappearing.

A slight wind blew through the clearing as Minato backed up and carefully extended his senses to try and locate his missing oppon- _There! _Minato bit back a triumphant grin as he spotted a small furrow of sand heading for him and quickly prepared a small suiton jutsu for retaliation purposes. A few seconds later Naruto burst from the ground, using the edge of the hole he created to lunge forward, fangs bared in a feral grin as he barreled towards Minato - and straight into the suiton jutsu. It was Minato's turn to smile- until the soaked Naruto burst into a cloud of smoke and he could sense the real Naruto's presence above him. Looking up Minato was able to dodge the vicious axe kick but failed to block the next three successive elbow punches to his chest, stomach and right shoulder respectively, uselessly staring at Naruto's back.

Mind reeling, Minato tried to catch his breath as he saw Naruto slide a leg before whipping his torso around Minato's side. Recognizing the attack and its form Minato hurriedly crouched down, feeling his hair rustle as Naruto's fist passed through the air where his kidneys had been a moment ago. Reacting quickly, Minato spun around on one leg and successfully knocked Naruto to the ground. Before Naruto could do more than catch his breath, Minato had his arms pinned by each side of his head and his legs secured. Minato stared down at his son, ignoring the angry way Naruto growled with bared fangs. "Uzuken," he breathed as Naruto struggled against his hold, eyes narrowing as he watched Minato. "Wh-where did you learn _Uzuken_," Minato almost demanded as his fingers clamped down on Naruto's wrists.

"Picked it up in my travels," Naruto growled, cocking his head to one side. "Where did you see it?" Curiosity had crept into his tone and Minato forgot to breathe for a moment.

_Oh god…Kushina used to do that, _Minato thought dazedly. _She'd just stare at me, head cocked to one side until I explained…_Minato was rudely jerked from his thoughts as he felt Naruto free of his hands. Minato pulled back expecting a punch but was surprised when Naruto reached inside of his vest and flung a handful of _sand _at his eyes.

"You little sonuva-" Minato swore violently as he reeled back, forcing his hands to stay still as his eyes streamed tears to clear away the gritty sand. A low chuckle echoed throughout the clearing as Minato finally risked wiping his hand across his eyes and looking for his opponent- who predictably used the chance to hide.

"Now there's something I can brag about," Naruto's voice echoed dryly, "I made the Yondaime cry during a battle."

Minato swore mentally- Jiraiya would definitely find some amusement in that fact. Trying to ignore the thought of taunts, Minato focused on trying to locate Naruto. _Where are you…_He thought, eyes darting to the various trees, bushes and sand pits scattered about. A flare of chakra alerted him and Minato whirled around in time to block a series of spiraling kicks aimed at his head.

"I _asked," _Naruto grunted, falling back into a defensive stance, "Where have you seen Uzuken?" He moved forward to press the attack once more but was startled to see a look of deep grief etched onto Minato's face for a moment before the former Hokage launched a vicious side kick that connected with a solid _crack! _

"Someone I knew," was the cryptic answer as the older blonde pulled back as Naruto gasped soundlessly for a moment before he grinned ferally.

"Let's see how you deal with _this _then," he almost-growled before launching towards Minato, driving him back with a long combination that favored claw-strikes and high kicks, a few blows slipping past Minato's defense to connect solidly before pulling back to a low four legged stance. Both men stood silently for a moment, regaining their breath before Minato flickered behind Naruto with a Shunshin. Naruto whipped around a displeased yowl before lunging towards Minato again, carmine eyes gleaming. Minato swore quietly before substituting with an unfortunate log that soon bore deep scores from Naruto's claws.

The bout continued in near silence as Naruto continue to wildly press the attack, Minato dodging with Kawarimi or the occasional Shunshin. Minato was wondering whether or not he should press his own attack, noting that Naruto's moves were becoming sloppy and the younger blonde seemed to be relying solely on instincts and senses to perceive Minato's position. This theory was confirmed when Minato deployed two Kage Bunshin to distract the blonde only to have Naruto shred both and let out a deep and feral angry roar that almost echoed as the smoke faded.

_A most dangerous style to an opponent who isn't fast, _Minato decided as he leapt backwards nimbly before sacrificing another hapless log to Naruto's claw, _But more dangerous to the user if the opponent is fast and intelligent enough to wait to strike. _

Minato numbly wondered how Naruto had managed to come up with the style as he spotted an opening and darted in to tackle the feral Naruto and pin him to the ground roughly, placing a kunai to his throat. Instantly Naruto's wild struggles and low growls stilled at the touch of icy steel. Minato glared down intently as the feral lust faded from Naruto's eyes faded and intelligence slowly made an appearance; allowing some of the tension in Minato's shoulders and back to fade.

Both blondes kept still for a moment before Naruto pushed up with a small growl against the kunai, enough to slice open the skin in a long thin strip. "I yield," he almost whispered before slumping back against the ground, his eyes seeming to fade to dull red, almost brown shade as he stared up at the sky. Minato pulled back the kunai hesitantly, slipping it back into his pouch. Naruto's eyes flicked back to focus on the movement almost instantly before he let his eyes slide halfway shut, glazed over.

* * *

Naruto stormed through the sewers of his mind, eyes hardened as he reached the forested section that Kyuubi had claimed for his own. Entering a small meadow, Naruto planted his feet firmly and took a deep breath before roaring out his prisoner's name. "KYUUBI!"

The fox didn't take much time to appear, sauntering casually into the small space. "**What brings you here at this time?**" The bijuu drawled, lazily grooming a tail. Naruto resisted the urge to throttle his sometimes-teacher and settled for baring his fangs.

"You. Blocked me," he hissed through clenched teeth. "And you tried to kill him, knowing that we can't _do that." _

Kyuubi's eyes flashed in anger and he growled. "**That bastard can go rot in the ground, **_**like he's supposed to be doing. **_**You and the perverted sage can unravel the curse seal but I will not stand for **_**that man **_**to be on the same plane as I again.**"

Naruto let out a slow snarl, for the first time in nearly three years feeling a flicker of the old hatred he used to bear his prisoner. "You are still a prisoner and subject to my mind and will. We can discuss Yondaime-cide _after _Sasuke is safe and we are out of this gods-be-damned village. But we would not survive for very long if we did so."

Kyuubi stayed silent, melting back into his forest without a reply, silently yielding to Naruto. Sending one last measured glare in the fox's direction Naruto returned to the world.

* * *

Minato stood quietly, taking the chance to observe Naruto again as the blonde relaxed. Almost instinctively, his eyes slid to the myriad of scars visible and silently pondered the implications. His fingers twitched, wanting to remove Naruto's vest and see what the loose garment hid from most of the world's sight. "Oh Naruto," Minato murmured, "What did I leave you to face when I destroyed your chances for a normal life?" He closed his eyes, nearly jumping when Naruto spoke.

"Hell." Minato quickly looked down to see Naruto regarding him with a shuttered expression. "You left me to face _hell,_" the blonde muttered, his voice almost cracking on the last word as he stood up and brushed off his pants and sash before unexpectedly sinking into a deep bow. "I owe you an apology- during the spar Kyuubi clouded my mind with anger and thoughts of retribution," the blonde explained in a stilted, formal tone. "To atone for this transgression, I owe you a boon that can be requested at any time and fulfilled to the best of my abilities. This I swear on my tails and honor as the kyuubi bijuu."

Minato felt his mouth drop open as he briefly contemplated the possibilities that this offer opened to him. As Naruto slowly rose from his bow, Minato shut his mouth and wondered what he could ask of his offspring.

Another slight breeze blew through the area, some sand in the surrounding pits scattering. It wasn't until Naruto (who had been shifting uncomfortably for some time) spoke up that Minato realized that the teen was apparently waiting for an answer. "Well," Naruto asked in a more acidic tone, "What are you going to ask me for? You could ask me to be your personal _weapon_ or demand that I bind myself to the village or just tell me to go off myself, and I-" He stopped abruptly at the arctic glare he was receiving from Minato, whose hands were suddenly clenched around the lapels of his vest.

"I don't want you to _ever _say something like that again!" Minato snarled vehemently, shaking Naruto for a moment. "You were _never _meant to be a weapon or the village's tool or even a jinchuuriki for gods' sake! You were just supposed to be _my _son and-" Minato was stopped by the slight growl that Naruto let slip before roughly jerking back out of his grip.

"Well you certainly made sure I wasn't just _somebody,_" Naruto spat out as he turned to leave the clearing.

Minato stood frozen for a second with his heart just _hurting _before an idea came to him. The former Hokage smile slightly before calling out, "I know what I want from you."

Naruto froze mid-step, his shoulder blades crawling as he thought of the possibilities. He stood still, waiting to hear what Minato would request.

"I want you to stop treating me as if being in my presence is some kind of torture. I'm not asking for a second chance- gods know I lost that when I fucked up the seal and your life- but I just want civil behavior. We're going to be dealing with one of the more dangerous nuke-nin in recent years and he won't hesitate to take advantage of our…dissension."Minato spoke quietly, his voice reflecting his bitterness when he spoke of second chances.

Naruto felt a strange tightness in his chest for a moment and he bit back the instinctive growl, before shoving all the anger and hurt and bitterness into the back of his mind before turning to face Minato, his face almost expressionless before relaxing into something akin to resignation.

Minato look back at him steadily for a moment, watching as Naruto slowly dragged a hand over his face- briefly pausing to pinch the bridge of his nose before continuing the downward motion- and sighed. "We….We'd better go check on Sasuke before baa-chan punts us from one end of the village to the other," Naruto muttered before slowly turning to amble out of the clearing.


	10. X

Almost half an hour later, Naruto and Minato followed a silent ANBU down the dimly lit hallways of the ANBU holding cells, both henge firmly in place. Both seal-users were silent, both contemplating a separate person. Minato's thoughts were centered on his former student Kakashi, reminded of the silver-haired boy- _He'll be a man by now- _by the grinning wolf mask the ANBU wore. It clearly wasn't Kakashi under the mask- the hair color was all wrong for that and besides, the operative was too young.

Naruto's ruminations were focused on Sasuke, wondering how far the raven-haired teen had delved into the darkness. _**Pot black kettle calling, **_came the amused thought from Kyuubi. Naruto mentally growled before replying. _I did not enter the darkness willingly, nor do I embrace it with greedy arms. I still maintain that I sit on the border of light and dark- the twilight. Sasuke gave himself over freely and look where that has gotten him. _

Before the fox could retort in his usual fashion, the ANBU leading them through the winding hallways slowed and came to a stop outside the barred cell of one Uchiha Sasuke. Its occupant lay silently on his cot, back facing his new visitors. The ANBU silently unlocked the cell and motioned for Naruto and Minato to enter. Both did so, with a silent nod of thanks that went unacknowledged as the door was shut and locked behind them. "The cell will be keyed to your chakra signatures while you're busy with the Uchiha so you won't need an escort to come and get you once you're done," murmured the ANBU. Minato nodded politely and watched as the silent operative walk away.

Turning around, the former Hokage was surprised to see Sasuke and a un-henged Naruto staring intensely at each other. Sasuke was the first to look away while Naruto slowly raised a hand and slipped it under his vest to massage at his right shoulder as Sasuke turned to look at Minato. "What do you want," he asked dully, shifting slightly on his cot.

"We here for a preliminary examination of your curse seal to see how much we have ahead of us," Minato explained calmly. Sasuke snorted slightly before removing his shirt and stood, mockingly spreading his arms and staring calmly at his companions. Minato's face was devoid of expression as he observed the small scatterings of scars that spread across Sasuke's upper body. Naruto briefly curled his lip before calmly stalking around Sasuke who subtly tensed as Naruto stopped to stare as his neck before his gaze flicked down to Sasuke's low hanging pants.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he saw the thin half moon scars that occasionally crossed thin white lines of more scarring. His fangs were bared and a low growl escaped his throat as he grasped the implications of the scars. Taking a step closer, the blonde was almost unsurprised to see Sasuke's muscles tense another level before focusing on the large patterned scar on the nape of Sasuke's neck. "Ahhhh," he murmured, reaching a hand to brush the roughened skin, "I remember leaving this dental impression…"

Sasuke flinched at the blonde's touch, turning to glare at Naruto; thus giving Minato a clear view of the scar. Minato's eyebrows rose as he looked at the near-perfect impression of Naruto's teeth. "You have, ah, a fondness for going for the neck," he muttered before turning his attention to Sasuke's shoulder and the curse seal there.

Naruto smirked slightly before leaning against the wall. "Well my arm wasn't exactly functional at that point." He retorted, eyes flickering to look at Sasuke who smirked grimly.

"It was only a Chidori to the shoulder, dobe," the Uchiha muttered, crossing his arms against his chest to ward off the cool dampness of the cell.

Minato froze for a moment, recognizing the technique before coughing slightly. "Why don't you take a look at the seal Naruto," he asked, moving back to give the other blonde space.

Naruto pushed off the wall and sauntered over to peer at the inky markings, thumbs hooked in his sash and fingers drumming against his legs. "Did Ero-sennin talk to you about the curse seal at all?"

"Not particularly since he was baffled himself," Minato sighed as glanced back at the seal. "He's not that great with deconstructing seals in the first place and Orochimaru obviously hid the design."

Naruto eyed his eyes. "Well of course Orochimaru hid the design- it'd be too easy if we had the runes in front of us. I mean, take a look at _my _seal. One of the reasons Orochimaru was able to screw with it so easily was because the runes are in plain sight. Poof! Insta-blocked access!"

Minato sent him a flat look, about to tell him to focus on Sasuke's seal when the Uchiha suddenly clutched at his shoulder, a small gasp of pain escaping as he hunched over, muscles trembling from the tension. Both Naruto and Minato straightened, exchanging looks. Minato crouched down and managed to pry Sasuke's fingers away from the seal enough to see that the mark was pulsing a dull angry reddish-orange.

Naruto let out a low hissing breath as he peered at the seal. "Figures the fucking bastard would use the seal as a physical way to screw with his minion-toys."

Minato nodded thoughtfully. "If I had to hazard a guess without any more research, I'd say Orochimaru cobbled together a weaker version of the Hyuuga's seal."

"Makes sense," Naruto agreed. "I want to see if we can commandeer a Hyuuga to take a look at his chakra coils and see what they can tell us."

"That will be our next step," Minato confirmed, standing up; sparing a glance towards Sasuke's hunched form. "Think we can report to Tsunade without endangering our lives?"

"…Probably," Naruto muttered under his breath, heading for the door.

* * *

Ookami slunk into the ANBU headquarters, intent on showering and changing out of his blood-spattered uniform before going home and curling up in bed for the next twelve or so hours. Most of his masked compatriots within the lobby of HQ sensed his exhaustion and kept silent- except for one.

"Oi, Ookami! Can't you keep a uniform clean for just one mission? The Quartermaster is going to have your hide on a platter!" Ookami's shoulders slumped and he turned to face a younger, clearly rookie, ANBU wearing a wolf mask that only differed from Ookami's in the patterned paint and the state of the porcelain material- The youngster's mask gleamed proudly, without a scratch to be seen while Ookami's mask was dulled and seemed to be a magnet for scratches, scares and small dents.

"I'd like to see _you _try and keep a uniform clean," he began in a slow drawl, clearly mocking the younger member. "While escaping from a rather large squad of Iwa jounin af…ter…you…" Ookami's voice abruptly trailed off as a familiar scent entered the immediate area, accompanied by the strong stench of fox and chakra in general. He slowly turned to see a man and an older teen walk out of the hall that led to the ANBU holding cells.

Underneath his mask, Ookami's nose twitched as his mind registered the scents and promptly decided to shut down as his mouth and vocal chords instinctively formed a single title. "Sensei?"

The man on the left smiled slightly and motioned for Ookami to join him and his companion- whose scent niggled at the back of his mind- before moving to a quiet alcove, usually used for final briefings- or gossip sessions- by various ANBU teams. The man with Minato-sensei's scent stood just like him while the other one leaned against the wall, muscles tense.

Between one moment and the next, a henge was dropped and Kakashi felt his heart clench painfully as Minato smiled slightly. "Hey 'Kashi," he spoke quietly, arms crossing in front of his chest. The other person twitched and a small hurt noise escaped their throat, eyes flicking from Ookami/Kakashi to Minato-sensei as Kakashi slowly reached up and removed his mask before hooking the battered porcelain on his belt. As the teen slowly chewed on his bottom lip, the scent and actions finally clicked together into one name.

"You might as well drop the henge Naruto," Kakashi muttered under his breath with a long look at the teen. He was surprised to see Naruto stopped chewing on his bottom lip to bare his teeth, henged eyes flashing.

"Stupid fuckin' Hatake nose," Naruto snarled under his breath. "Naruto's not here but Kitsune will _gladly _keep you company."

Kakashi flinched back at the near-hatred Naruto's voice possessed, turning back to Minato who closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Kitsune-san, we'd best report back to Tsunade-sama," he murmured, watching as Naruto/Kitsune opened his eyes, any hint of anger gone.

"Of course Minato-san," Kitsune bowed his head slightly before pushing off of the wall.

Kakashi moved back silently, his visible eye curving into a smile. "I'd best change and report before going home to curl up with my dolphin." He watched with small sense of satisfaction of Kitsune's right eye twitched. The sense of satisfaction abruptly disappeared as Kitsune smiled slyly.

"I trust I don't need to warn you, Kakashi-san, that Naruto is rather protective of dolphins," Kitsune's voice was smooth, the weighty meaning perfectly clear to Kakashi.

"I'll…just go hit the showers," Kakashi muttered, his eye focusing on anything but Kitsune's smug smirk.

Minato watched the small exchange, knowing that he was missing something of some importance but not knowing what. He hadn't seen Kakashi this uncomfortable since the mission where he had taken a kunai to the femoral artery, rather high on his thigh and Rin had had to heal it. Both teen had been steadily red-faced and refused to as much as glance at each other for almost an entire day. "See you later then, Kakashi," the former Hokage said genially as he reapplied his henge and started walking toward the door, Kitsune trailing behind him by a step.

* * *

Sakura sighed as she let herself into her apartment, shoulders slumping as she mumbled out the traditional "Taidama" before dragging her laundry down the hallway and into her room, dumping the basket on her bed. She sat beside said basket on her red comforter for a moment, thinking of what she would do for the evening.

Her mother had invited her to the house for dinner, but she wasn't feeling up to the questions that were normally asked. Was she sleeping enough, she seemed a over-tired; maybe she should only work at the hospital instead of doing missions and hospital work…Sakura's lip briefly curled at the thought- her parents loved her, but they still didn't grasp why she drove herself so hard. They fretted over her on the rare occasions she did appear and Sakura didn't think she'd be able to answer politely tonight

Levering herself up with a slight groan, the pink-haired chuunin headed for the bathroom, planning to take a hot shower before heading out to look for some dinner. _Besides, there's some laundry I need to do..._

* * *

"A Hyuuga, hmm?" Tsunade tilted her head back to look at the ceiling. " Do you have any preference for who I would assign?"

Naruto folded his arms and tucked his chin to his chest for a moment before smiling weakly. "Don't suppose Neji is free and in the village?" '

"Sorry, he's out on mission Naruto. Hinata should be back from her current mission in about two days though," Tsunade said, consulting a scroll briefly.

Minato frowned slightly, recalling the name from his debriefing of village events. "Hinata, Hinata…Hiashi's first born?" He asked. Tsunade nodded and Minato smiled. "We'll take her. D'you need anything else Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade sent Minato a small glare. "Some sake and a decent speech explaining your recent return would be wonderful. Get right on it, huh?"

"Eheheh…I think you're on your own for that," Minato chuckled weakly until he spotted Naruto's smirk as his son crossed his arms.

"You could always just gather the villagers and tell them that their precious Yondaime has returned from the dead- and then shove said Yondaime into their ever-loving arms," Naruto suggested with a smirk and a deadly gleam in his eyes.

Tsunade's eyes began to gleam suspiciously as well and Minato decided it would be best to leave- quickly. "Well, wow, would you look at the time? The house still needs some cleaning and I'd better get to it. Seeyoulaterbye!" After that last rushed sentence, Minato made his escape out the window and into the village.

Naruto and Tsunade shared a small chuckle before Naruto sighed, running his hand through his hair for a moment. "I'd better go get some sleep. See ya later baa-chan." Naruto quickly left, his eyes flicking to one corner of the room before jumping out the window and into the village easily.

Tsunade sighed before pinching the bridge of her nose. "You can come out now Kakashi."

Kakashi dropped the genjutsu, slightly unnerved that Naruto had been able to find him, but focused on the matter at hand. "I don't suppose you mind telling me why I walked into ANBU HQ to find my former thoroughly _dead _sensei walking out with my wayward student?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes and heaved another, more dramatic sigh at the ceiling. "Mostly because we were trying to hide your precious sensei until I have a halfway decent speech written."

Kakashi cocked his head to one side. "Would it just be easier to say "He's back!" before shoving him out into the mob while you make your escape?"

"Don't. Tempt me," Tsunade muttered under her breath as she glared her overflowing trash bin, filled with failed speech attempts. "Shouldn't you be getting fussed over by Iruka or something?"

Kakashi smiled and bowed slightly. "Of course," he said cheerfully before disappearing in a swirl of maple leaves.

* * *

**AN: Know what suck? Junior projects. I present in less than a week before a large audience and I'm nervous- however, my project is about fencing and this is an opportunity to try and get more people interested, which could lead to getting my idiot district to loosen up a few regulations. **

**Anyway, tonight is a triple update to make up for my lack-of-brainness in updating.  
**


	11. XI

Naruto slowly walked up the stairs to his apartment, shoulders slumped and stomach growling, a frown plastered. Stopping at the top of the stairs and focusing for a moment Naruto let out a small groan as he heard the tell-tale sounds of people moving about in his apartment. Inhaling deeply for a moment, Naruto sank back into the back of his mind and allowed Kitsune to take his place.

Kitsune blinked once before walking down to the apartment and casually opened the door before stopping abruptly. Chouji and Shikamaru looked at him in surprise. Kiba was oblivious for a moment, sprawled over the couch upside down and with his mouth hanging open before he abruptly hit the pause button and craned his head to look at the henged Kitsune for a moment before unpausing his game and turning back to the screen. "Who the hell are you," he asked, violently jabbing at his controller.

Kitsune blinked before replying. "I'm a friend of Naruto's…why are you in his apartment?"

"Turned it into the K9's hangout to get Sakura out of her funk," Kiba grunted as he shot down another two zombies.

Kitsune blinked again in real surprise. "Sakura-san? She hardly seems to be the type to fall into a funk."

A new voice spoke out, emerging from the kitchen. "I'd like to see someone _not _fall into a funk after one teammate disappears of the face of the earth and the other defects barely two weeks later." The speaker, Ino, walked out of the kitchen, a small tray of snacks in her hands.

Kitsune opened his mouth to speak, finding his vocal chords uncomfortably tight as Naruto started mentally berating himself. " Sak-"

"It wasn't a _funk _Ino," Sakura spoke up icily from behind Kitsune, causing the footloose shinobi to jump slightly. Courteously, she inclined her head to Kitsune as he moved to one side to let her enter the apartment.

Ino rolled her eyes, plunking the snack tray next to Chouji who absently grabbed a bag of chips and opened it before making a move against Shikamaru on the go board. "Sure it wasn't a funk. Because moping around the village, cleaning Naruto's and Sasuke's apartment for almost half a year can be considered normal behavior."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at Ino for a moment before sighing. "Whatever pig. I just came over here before doing laundry to warn Kitsune that we kinda turned Naruto's place into a hangout for the Konoha Nine. And to tell you guys that Kitsune will be staying here."

Kiba twitched his head vaguely in Sakura's direction, eyes still glued to the screen. "Which meeeeeeeea-Ah, fuck you, you goddamn zombie!"

Sakura's eye twitched before a book from a nearby table collided violently with Kiba's skull. The ninken-user let out a yelp of pain before falling silent, nursing the newly sprouted lump on his head. "Which _means _that you guys just can't come over here whenever you want to escape your mothers. Shikamaru."

Shikamaru grunted for a moment before he glanced at Chouji, who shrugged and started cleaning up the game board. Kiba glanced at them and moved to restart his game when Sakura and Ino both glared at him. Magically, Kiba's fingers drifted over to the power button of the console and the Inuzuka wrapped up the game controller and offered the tray of snacks back into the kitchen. Ino smiled sweetly and handed him the tray. Within two minutes, all four of the uninvited guests were filing out of the small apartment with muttered goodbyes and nice to meet yous.

Sakura and Kitsune stood silently for a moment before the pinkette politely excused herself and left, leaving Naruto by himself. The teen stared at the door for a moment, allowing both of his henges to fade away. Tails twitching slightly, Naruto sank down into one of the chairs that the Rookie Nine had brought in and continued to stare at the door blankly.

_It wasn't a _funk_ pig._

_Sure it wasn't a funk. Because moping around the village, cleaning Naruto's and Sasuke's apartment for almost half a year can be considered normal behavior._

Naruto had never really thought about the possible consequences of his leaving the village. He'd been too occupied with training and traveling and generally doing his best _not _to think of Konoha in general. _I thought no one would miss me that much, _Naruto thought numbly. _What else have I missed…_Naruto wondered for a moment before his stomach growled insistently.

Sighing, Naruto got up and wandered into the kitchen to see what the kitchen cupboards held in the way of food.

* * *

Tsunade smiled with satisfaction as the chuunin if front of her finished up her mission report with a slight stutter and a quick bow. Tsunade pulled out the written report and with a slight flourish, stamped it firmly, first with the "Mission Successful" stamp and then her usual Hokage seal.

With a triumphant sigh, the busty Hokage placed the report in her outbox before turning to the silent kunoichi. "Well done Hinata. It sounds like you handled the mission competently and with ease, even when things got tough."

Hinata flushed slightly but smiled shyly, glancing down at her feet. "It's was n-nothing Hokage-sama. Ano…is that all, or d-do you need me for something else?"

Tsunade opened her mouth, ready to dismiss the tired-looking chuunin when she remembered that Minato and Naruto had both requested that Hinata help them by looking over Sasuke's chakra coils. She closed her mouth and frowned slightly before gesturing for one of her ANBU guards to appear. The masked shinobi emerged from their hiding spot effortlessly, materializing in a crouched bow.

"Hokage-sama?" The elite's voice was slightly muffled by the tiger mask that he wore.

"Tora-san, I need you to do me a favor and retrieve our current seal masters and tell them to get back here- they've requested Hinata's assistance in their work for a few hours." Tsunade's voice had a stern tone to it, but her lips were twitching slightly.

"Hai, Hokage-sama! Er…which one should I notify first?" Tora paused on his way out the window, looking back at their leader.

Tsunade shrugged amiably before replying. "Either one, though you should probably find my so-called predecessor- if the gaki hears, he'll rush over and kidnap poor Hinata without explaining a thing."

The masked ANBU laughed slightly, but covered it with a cough, nodding as he leapt out the window. Both kunoichi watched him leave silently as he had appeared. Tsunade let out a small sigh before turning back to the waiting Hinata to explain the situation more fully.

"Hinata, do you remember when I had you take a look at the Uchiha's chakra system?" Tsunade's voice was serious, compared to the slightly slurred tone that the Hokage usually adopted.

"H-hai…I can't remember much of the detail from my report though." Hinata frowned slightly as she recalled the occasion. Her silent musings were interrupted by Tsunade's sigh.

"Well, we've got a seal master and his companion who ar-"

"Ah, Tsunade-hime, since Hyuuga-san might be working with me and my companion on multiple occasions, we both decided to drop the henges." Hinata whirled in surprise, startled to see a tall man dressed in a jounin's uniform with a unique coat over the outfit. Her eyes widened as they darted from a framed photo on the wall to the man and back again. Finally, she turned wordlessly back to Tsunade, who sat with a long suffering expression on her face.

"I'd like to see _you _try to tell the entire village that the, hmm…Shodaime was back from the dead. The Council has been breathing down my back about meeting with you and "Kitsune" to discuss what you're going to do about the Curse Seal." Tsunade almost growled in the man's direction. Minato threw an amused glance at Tsunade before turning to Hinata who felt her face flushing.

To her surprise, the man bowed deeply, all but getting on his knees. "Hajimemashite, Hyuuga-sama." Minato rose from his bow and startled, Hinata returned the gesture.

"Hajimemashite…Yondaime-sama." Hinata glanced up before emerging from her bow when she heard a bark of laughter

"I told you she'd recognize you within thirty seconds." Hinata felt her stomach drop to her feet as a changed Naruto walked in the door, smirking at the blonde Hokage. Hinata's cheeks turned a deep crimson and she saw the room waver back and forth before the surprised kunoichi throttled the instinct to faint in her long-standing crush's presence. She stayed quiet, a slight smile creeping across her lips as she took in Naruto's changed appearance.

"K-konnichi-wa, Naruto-kun." Hinata could feel the blush die down a little as she managed the simple greeting with only the barest hint of a stutter. Naruto looked at her and smiled, nodding slightly.

"Did baa-chan tell you want we needed you for?" Naruto asked, in an uncharacteristically serious tone of voice. Hinata shook her head slightly as Tsunade glared and raised a fist in Naruto's direction. Naruto bared his fangs mockingly at the older woman, jutting out his jaw as if daring her.

Hinata giggled slightly at the sight and didn't notice that Minato had moved till he spoke up from beside her. "Ne, Tsunade if it's alright, I can tell her on the way to Sasuke's cell. I'm sure there's some paperwork you need to stamp…"

Tsunade merely 'hmphed', but nodded her approval. "Don't know how you managed the goddamn paperwork…." She mumbled under her breath, watching the trio leave with Minato already explaining what he wanted from the Hyuuga heiress.

* * *

"So…you want me to look with my Byakugan at Sasuke-kun's chakra system to see if there are any abnormalities?" Hinata verified as the trio entered ANBU cell block. Both Naruto and Minato nodded both flashing eerily similar half-grins at her.

After a few minutes of silent ruminating, Hinata also nodded. "It would be relatively s-simple. I can use either of your chakra systems as base for what could be considered normal."

Naruto winced slightly and discreetly formed a half-seal; wincing as he felt the chakra flow in his tails cease. Minato had suggested the trick while they had headed for Tsunade's office to pick up the Hyuuga heiress. _Well, that'll be enough to keep any Hyuuga fooled about my tails...Maybe I can convince Hinata that my chakra was an after effect from a fight or technique… _Naruto was jerked out of his thoughts by Minato's hand on his shoulder.

The small group had come to a halt before Sasuke's cell and Hinata was slightly surprised as both blondes turned to her. "We forgot to mention this at Tsunade's office, Hinata-san, but for obvious reasons, I would prefer that you not spread around the news that I am back from the dead," Minato explained in a quiet voice. Hinata nodded and Naruto spoke as well.

"Technically, I'm still out traveling- somewhere in northern Fire lands to get picky. The person working with Yondaime here is just a regular traveling shinobi named Kitsune," Naruto's voice was quiet and almost flat. "Please don't tell anyone I'm back- there are…things I still need to take care of."

Hinata nodded silently, puzzled by Naruto's request but kept her thoughts to herself as Minato opened the cell and they all entered silently as Sasuke looked at them coolly before reaching for the bottom edge of his shirt. "Another examination?" He asked his voice just as cool as the look they had received when the trio entered.

Naruto scowled slightly as Minato shook his head. "No, this time we brought Hinata to take a look at your chakra coils."

Sasuke shrugged and spread his arms wide mockingly. "Look right ahead. It's not as if I've got anything better to do with my days…"

Hinata sighed as she stepped forward, and with a slight nod in Sasuke's direction, activated her kekkei genkai. She instinctively braced her feet as her vision expanded to a near 360 degrees and everything become a slate of blacks and whites with different shades of chakras identifying her companions.

Minato and Sasuke's chakra coils were both glowing a healthy blue, though Hinata noted a purplish-black undertone in Sasuke's. When she turned her attention briefly to Naruto's, she jumped as shocked- his was not the normal blue she remembered but a vivid crimson color that idly swirled through thickened coils. Naruto must've noticed her reaction as he shrugged

"Don't worry; it's just some after effect of a fight I got in a while back." Hinata nodded before turning her attention to Sasuke's chakras, focusing on the coils first as she examined them minutely; reporting every few minutes what she saw.

"His coils are fine for the most part….though they seemed especially thickened at his left shoulder. The chakra flow there vaguely resembles the curse seal of my clan…" she trailed off briefly as she examined the area more closely. "There….there also appears to be a few…shadow tenketsu in the area, producing a tainted chakra that mixes easily with his normal chakra."

"HA! I _told _you that Orochimaru stole elements of the Hyuuga seal, as well as the other seal!" Minato shouted triumphantly before grinning sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "Gomen, Hinata-san….Is there anything else of note in his chakra coils? Anything that twists or turns?"

Hinata shook her head and soundlessly deactivated her Byakugan. She could hear Minato and Naruto discussing some type of theories, but she couldn't make heads or tails of it as she stood patiently in the damp cell, occasionally looking at Sasuke who merely stared insolently back at her or glared at the ceiling.

* * *


	12. XII

"Well with those two theories, I think we might have enough to actually get a solution for the seal. What I don't understand is why Jiraiya wasn't able to do this himself." Minato frowned as he and Naruto walked away from the ANBU cells, Hinata still trailing behind them.

Naruto shrugged, rubbing at his shoulder agitatedly- the damn scar always acted up around Sasuke. "Probably because he doesn't have the knowledge of the other seal that you do, as its creator and maybe because everyone assumed that the pedophile was as good a seal maker as he is a molester," he commented in a dry tone

Hinata felt her eyes widened as Naruto calmly called one of the most infamous S-class nuke-nin a pedophile. She must have made some sort of noise because Naruto turned his head enough to catch her mortified expression. He agilely turned on his heel to face her while Minato watched amusedly out of the corner of his eye.

"Na-Naruto-kun you…did you just imply that O-Orochimaru was a…" Hinata's voice trailed off, her face flushing. She wasn't even able to say the word while a small part of her was curious.

Naruto smirked at her and nodded. "Yup. I wasn't there for half the fight during the Chuunin Exam, but from what I did see; the looks Orochimaru were giving the teme weren't just ones of power lust. More like, plain old regular lust."

Hinata's eyes opened a tad further before they rolled into the back of her head as she toppled forward in a dead faint.

"Shit!" Naruto easily stepped forward to catch the limp form of Hinata. "Didn't think she'd faint so easily after three years…." He grumbled under his breath, hoisting the Chuunin into his arms and carrying her bridal style as Minato watched with amusement.

"Well, as the Hyuuga heiress, she would be more sheltered and not used to such… coarse comments," Minato replied diplomatically. "What are you going to do?"

"Take her back to her house. Her family would be able to take care of her better than a footloose fox," Naruto grunted as he shifted Hinata's limp form slightly.

"I'd take her but I have to go dig something out of records." The former Hokage sighed at the thought of the daunting task but raised one hand and waved before disappearing in his trademark yellow flash. Naruto twitched slightly but took to the roofs under his normal genjutsu. The Hyuuga clan would still pitch a fit if some random civilian showed up with the heir. But chances were they wouldn't have a chance to get angry if the more mysterious Kitsune dropped her off.

* * *

Kitsune stood atop a building, his cloak fluttering briefly in the wind as he shifted his unconscious burden. After a moment of shifting Hinata's weight so that she leaned forward on his back more safely, the traveler started bounding across the rooftops of Konoha once more, steadily heading for the expansive Hyuuga complex.

A few minutes later, the two Hyuuga branch members on gate duty were surprised when a cloaked figure landed somewhat heavily in front of them. The figure straightened and inclined his head in a respectful manner to the both of them. It was only then that the guards noticed the limp figure of their heiress on the stranger's back.

"H-hinata-sama!" One guard exclaimed, dropping his (mostly) ceremonial spear to relieve Kitsune of the slumbering teen. The other guard had disappeared inside, presumably to tell someone of Hinata's return. "Where did you find her? I 'd heard that she was out on a mission…"

"She was- but a seal master and his companion required her assistance upon her return. She fainted from chakra exhaustion- I thought it best that she was brought back safely to her home and family," Kitsune explained in a low tone.

Shortly after, the guard who had entered the compound return with more Branch member servants rushed out and gently took Hinata inside the gates of the compound. The guard thanked Kitsune once more before the wanderer left to return to Naruto's apartment and his name.

* * *

Minato sneezed as he shifted through the dusty aisles of the archives, small clouds of dust rising with every other step. Rubbing his nose the former Hokage peered around him. "I'm getting closer- I remember Ero-sensei and Sandaime talking about some of this…." He muttered, poking at a few files. Scanning the shelves and scroll cases about him more intently, he let out a quiet cry of triumph as he spotted the notes that had called him into this dust-ridden room, stuffed with old official documents.

He crouched and tugged at the folder, gently easing it from under the other papers that trembled alarmingly. Minato breathed a silent sigh of relief before turning his attention to some of the scroll cases. He pulled out several, pleased to see his familiar handwriting on the outside of several scrolls. The blonde quickly the few scrolls and exited the dusty archive room- only to run into someone.

Scrolls and papers went for an impromptu flight as their owners lay on the ground for a moment, letting out simultaneous groans. Minato cracked open an eye and nearly had a heart attack as he spotted the grey hair and glasses of Council Elder Homura. The younger man quickly scrambled to his feet and helped the aged shinobi to stand out of courtesy. Homura nodded in thanks, glancing at him briefly before doing a double take.

"Namikaze?!" He exclaimed, causing the former Hokage look up from the floor where he was gathering his notes and scrolls.

"Yeah?" Minato asked absently, realizing who he had crashed into, mentally whacking himself- Homura would expect a more dignified response, even he was an old buzzard.

Homura frowned at Minato's flippant reply and cleared his throat. "The Council has been eager to greet you from your, ah….return."

Minato's face darkened for a moment and he stood folders and scrolls neatly tucked into the crook of one arm. "I've been busy with looking at the Uchiha's curse seal with that traveling shinobi. Kitsune, I think." His eye flashed in a pointed look at the old man. "That was why I was originally brought back, correct?"

Homura flushed slightly and nodded grudgingly. He adjusted his glasses and shot a look of his own at the blonde as he crouched, picking up his own scattered papers. "Still…the Council is actually taking care of a few economic issues at the moment. I was gathering some files for information. Why don't you join us?"

Minato opened his mouth only to snap it shut. The Council would eventually drag him in for a meeting one way or another- he might as get it over with before going and meeting Naruto to discuss possible ways of ridding Sasuke of his curse seal. He nodded roughly before following the smirking Elder down the halls to the lesser Council meeting room.

Homura opened the door and entered, still smiling as the other Council members looked up. Minato followed, and suppressed a chuckle at the scene before him. Tsunade appeared as if she was going to wring someone's neck if some sake wasn't within her hands in the next two minutes. Koharu looked just as irritated, if for different reasons. The original InoShikaCho members had expressions of boredom on their faces except for Shikaku, who was softly snoring. The respective heads of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans also appeared tired and annoyed if Tsume's growls were anything to go by.

Hiashi was surprisingly absent but Minato barely had time to notice that small fact before the entire Council (excluding Shikaku, Shibi and Tsunade) sat up straight, shocked out their mind numbing boredom by his appearance. Tsunade glowered at Homura who merely sat down and set the files he'd been carrying on the table.

"Homura…" The busty blonde started in a slight growl. "What's Minato doing here and not working with Kitsune?"

Homura smiled slightly as he replied. "We ran into each- quite literally as he came out of the archive room. I suggested that he come and see the Council and tell us of the progress he and the traveling shinobi have made."

Minato restrained the urge to snarl in a Naruto-like manner at the smooth-talking Elder and looked at Tsunade who rubbed a temple. "We could use the break from looking at these blasted statistics…." She murmured under her breath before straightening her spine and nodding. "That would be useful. Minato, I believe you are familiar with everyone here?"

"Yeah…though you might want to wake up Shikaku before I start." Minato jerked his head in the direction of the sleeping shadow-user.

Chouza sighed and whacked his friend upside the head. Shikaku jerked awake and glared at the Akamichi. "What was that for?" He asked with a slight whining tone.

"Wake up- Minato-san's here to give a report on the curse seal." Shikaku looked about the room lazily and gave a casual wave to Minato who only grinned before clearing his throat.

"A few days after Kitsune won us study rights to Sasuke's curse seal, we took a preliminary look at the curse seal. I've only heard of the effects of the seal, but at the moment it appears that the seal affects the owner's mind and body.

"From eyewitness accounts of the seal….application, Kitsune-san and I were able to form some theories. Orochimaru applies the seal through a bite to the victim, preferably to the juncture of the neck and shoulder. Today we had Hyuuga Hinata take a look at Sasuke's chakra coils to see if the curse seal affected the chakra system in any way.

"From what she reported, Orochimaru has taken elements of the seal I used on the Kyuubi and the Hyuuga clan seal for their branch members. I was retrieving my notes on the Hyuuga seal so that Kitsune-san and I could start formulating possible removal techniques. We do not believe the task will be as difficult as it first appeared since Orochimaru was no sealing expert."

"What about your notes on the Kyuubi seal?" Inoichi inquired. Minato turned to him with a slight grin.

"Those, I left in Jiraiya's possession. Most of my notes were verbal, just discussions with him. The few paper notes I have….I figured that he'd be the best one, seeing as he was the only one who could understand them."

Inoichi nodded in satisfaction and settled back in his council seat. Minato sighed and glanced round. "If the Council has no more reason keep me, I'd like to go and meet with Kitsune-san. We still have much work to do."

Tsunade hmmed thoughtfully before nodding her thanks to Minato. "I'll send Jiraiya over at some point to take a look but for now you can go. If we have any questions, we'll send them with Jiraiya."

Minato bowed his thanks before exiting the room, leaving the group inside to return their attention back to the columns of statistics that dictated Konoha's economy. It wasn't until he was on the roof top of Hokage Tower that he realized he had forgotten something rather important. "….I don't know where Naruto lives." He mumbled to himself.

Kitsune quietly slithered into the apartment through the window and removed his cloak before hold it in his hand, wondering where to put it. _Can't exactly hang in it in the closet…_ The fox winced as he looked at Naruto's old jumpsuits. They were too small for anyone except maybe Konohamaru now. Sighing, Kitsune grabbed a spare hanger and buckled the clasp of his cloak before slipping it onto the hanger and shoving it to the back of the closet, behind the horrible orange jumpsuits.

_Wonder if there's time to see if the forest will be a bit more kind to me as for lunch…_Naruto mused as he slunk into the kitchen and glanced at the cupboards, torn between being able to get out of the village and…_**What else could you do in the village, **_Kyuubi asked sardonically as Naruto blinked, realizing that he didn't _have _to stick around in the village for anything really. Minato said he would find Naruto when he had the notes…Naruto grinned in a very vulpine-like manner as he reapplied his civilian henge and walked out the door, heading towards the village wall at a clipped pace.


	13. XIII

Minato sighed as he knocked for one final time on what Tsunade had told him was Naruto's apartment door. Shifting the largish stack of scrolls in his arms Minato cautiously tried the door, surprised when the door swung open with a slight creak. Minato hurriedly set down his burden and did a cursory examination of the apartment to verify that Naruto wasn't there. He paused, startled by the contrast of the living room and kitchen's well repaired look and the bedroom and training room's ill-repaired state. _I'll take a look later, _the Hokage decided as he left the small apartment. Leaping to stand on a nearby rooftop, Minato closed his eyes and felt for Naruto's chakra, shifting through the masses of ninja in the village, looking for the unique flare and feel of Naruto's chakra.

After a few minutes of looking, Minato's eyebrow twitched- Naruto wasn't in the village. With a sigh, the blonde expanded his search to the nearby forests. "Where are yo-Ah…there you are," Minato paused mid-sentence as he located Naruto about a half mile out from the village wall. "Stay. There," Minato half-growled under his breath as he fixed Naruto's current location in his mind before starting to move towards the village wall.

* * *

Naruto crouched over the bolt hole he had hastily dug, a dead squirrel by his right forepaw as his left paw latched onto the rabbits he had caught earlier. Successfully retrieving the small mammals, Naruto- with some difficulty- managed to carry all three of his kills to the nearby stream and flopped down to enjoy his lunch with a small growl.

* * *

Minato landed on a tree branch and glanced around the immediate area fruitlessly for a human form. Crouching in preparation to leave and check yet another section of forest, he was surprised to hear a slight chuckle from below him. Looking down, Minato spotted the large quadruped form of his son lounging under a tree by the swiftly flowing stream, carmine eyes gleaming.

"**Check again, ningen,**" Naruto almost sang tauntingly as he stood up and slunk out into the light. Minato flinched at the blood flecked muzzle. Naruto noticed and his eyes narrowed for a moment before shifting back to his human shape. "Bothered?" he asked in a sly tone, balancing in a crouch easily, bloodied claws brushing the ground almost casually. Without giving Minato time to speak, Naruto slunk over to the stream and roughly scrubbed away the blood on his hands and ducked his head under the water and wiped at the blood surrounding his mouth before coming back up for air, shaking his head rapidly to clear it of water.

Lowering his arm against the violent spray, Minato was pleased to see nothing but water streaming off Naruto's face and hair, dripping down to soak his vest and sash. Naruto quickly used the ends of his sash to dry his forearms and face before leaping up to a branch near Minato's. "So, what did you need me for?" Naruto cocked his head to one side and Minato's heart clenched for a moment as Minato opened his mouth to reply.

"I got my notes and some blank scrolls for us to work on- they're back at your apartment," Minato shrugged as they both started heading towards the village walls.

Naruto was silent for a moment, slowing down in his leaps. "You…you were in my de-apartment?" He asked in a quiet, controlled voice. Minato glanced back to see Naruto's jaw tighten for a moment and felt his stomach drop an inch or two.

"I couldn't exactly juggle all the scrolls while looking for you," Minato replied in an even voice, not looking at Naruto as he leapt ahead. Hearing a sigh, Minato glanced back to see Naruto shake his head before the younger blonde over passed Minato in his next leap.

The duo traveled in silence, easily entering Konoha, Minato muttering about the lax security around the village and Naruto snorting his agreement. Landing easily on the small balcony outside Naruto's front door, Naruto tried the door and growled quietly as the door opened with its telltale creak. He gestured for Minato to fall him into the small living area, much improved by the Rookie Nine.

Minato rifled briefly through the scrolls he had gathered, unrolling the notes on the Hyuuga seal and two blank scrolls for him and Naruto to brainstorm as Naruto dragged over an armchair to sit in. Looking at the blank scrolls, Naruto rummage about in his sash for a moment before removing his usual pen and small notepad, jotting down some of the theories he had thought of while doing his laundry.

Minato peered at the neat notes, nodding in agreement as Naruto sat back to chew on his pen thoughtfully. "I agree with you on the point that the seal affects the holder's mind and personality- from what Jiraiya and Tsunade said, Uchiha-"

"Sasuke," Naruto interrupted, eyes narrowing. "His name is Sasuke."

Minato looked at Naruto for a moment, silently wondering why Naruto was suddenly defending this small aspect of the Uchiha. "Fine….Sasuke had shown any disloyal tendencies until after he was given the curse seal."

Naruto nodded jerkily, eyes darkening as he thought of the golden days of Team Seven when their teamwork was spot-on and they cleaned out three or four D-ranks and then they would sit at _their _bridge to watch the sunset, the flaming waters of the river slowly melting to the dark navies and black of the night before reluctantly separating to make their separate ways homes… "-ruto? Naruto, you okay?"

Naruto's eyes refocused, some shock visible as Minato sat back, pleased that Naruto had returned from wherever he had gone for those few long minutes. "You went somewhere," Minato said softly and Naruto looked down at the table for a moment before nodding slowly. _And I thought only old people could get lost in "the good old days", _Naruto thought ruefully. Both blondes sat in silent contemplation of their own thoughts for a moment longer before Naruto reach out a hand to snag Minato's scroll of Hyuuga seal notes.

"Let's get to work," Naruto muttered under his breath, eyes flicking over the smooth parchment. Minato nodded and pulled Naruto's scroll to copy down the basic theories and thoughts onto his own parchment, adding some thoughts of his own.

Almost an hour later, the Hyuuga seal scroll had been rolled up and judged as nonessential as the two seal-masters, having decided that getting rid of the pain-inducing aspect of the seal and maybe dealing with the "shadow tenketsu" Hinata had mentioned would be better. Both of the scrolls the shinobi were using for notes were covered with possible designs and scratched out theories, ink smudged on the respective writing hands of Minato and Naruto.

"I think that Orochimaru would go for something simple, he just doesn't have the experience to use something more complex," Naruto sat back, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The only reason I'm a master at seals is because I could cram in years of training into a few months a la Kage Bunshin and try out possible designs or experiments with them."

Minato nodded, wondering what possible seals Orochimaru would use that would cause physical pain without leaving a visible affect. "What about the Kusasawa pain seal," he offered.

Naruto, sprawled sideways in his armchair by this point, perked up slightly. "That might work- anything from Kusa in general doesn't leave physical marks, the poisonous bastards that they are."

Minato grimaced- he had seen some of the nastier things Kusa had to offer during the Iwa-Konoha war, mostly from up close and personal experience. "Last I had heard, no one had been able to crack the seal, except by killing the sealer…"

"Minako-sensei cracked the seal, about two years post-Kyuubi," Naruto commented absently as he dug about in his sash with an intense look of concentration for a moment before pulling out a medium sized scroll and tossed at Minato who caught it out of reflex, staring at Naruto's sash.

"That's not a normal sash," Minato stated in almost an accusing tone. Naruto smirked for a moment before spreading his hands wide in an innocent manner. Minato rolled his eyes. "I've seen that sash and I know you can't stuff a scroll of that size inside its folds without a bulge showing. Now what did you do for the seals?"

Naruto grinned mischievously for a minute and stood up to untie the simple knot keeping his sash in place before quickly unwinding the lengthy piece of fabric. Minato's eyebrow twitched upwards as Naruto's pants drooped for a moment before being caught by a smaller, secondary sash that was actually used for a belt.

Naruto scowled, hitching up his pants with one hand while held out the other hand, sash dragging down to the floor. Minato took the sash and wasn't disappointed to find various storage seals dyed onto the sturdy fabric. "How did you think of this," Minato asked, running a hand over the seals, wondering what they held in the dimensional pockets that storage seals often used to contain the various items placed inside them. Naruto shrugged, motioning for Minato to pass back the sash. Minato did so, somewhat reluctant to do so, watching as Naruto carefully wound the dark orange fabric around his hips so the dye-seals were once again hidden.

"All I did was paint the dye onto the sash and imbue the wet dye with my chakra- it's just like what you do for a normal seal," Naruto explained, retying the knot that kept the seal-sash in place. "Then it's just a matter of remembering what you put in what seal and where that seal is- I sewed some stitches by each seal and imbued each stitch with a little chakra to identify it."

"Ahhh…" Minato smiled as he sat back down. "Very ingenious. I suppose that this scroll has the counterseal to the Kusasawa?"

Naruto nodded and Minato unfurled the scroll, looking over the counterseal briskly and nodding. "Good. I think that we could take care of the pain seal tomorrow, if you want."

Naruto nodded shortly. "Orochimaru is the vindictive sort, so he's probably been using the pain seal…" His voice trailed off, jaw clenched as he thought of Sasuke silently being punished by both Konoha and the snake sennin.

Minato watched silently, wondering how deep Naruto and Sasuke's bond ran to affect _his son _that much.  


* * *

"So if we can figure out a way to remove the shadow tenketsu; most of our work would be done. But we'd need a way to purge the rest of the tainted chakra from his system; otherwise it might try to overwhelm his regular chakra, like with what happened to me…" Naruto frowned at the thought of Sasuke being turned into some nonhuman entity. "Though he might only just gain those weird flame markings….which could be passed off as tattoos."

Minato hmmed and tapped his pen against his lips. He and Naruto had just spent the last half hour discussing possible ways to deal with the shadow tenketsu. Various ideas and diagrams had been scribbled on almost all of the blank scrolls. Shortly after the pair had cracked the pain seal, the man had complained of hunger pains and Naruto grudgingly sacked his fridge and cupboards; not surprised to find them stocked with a multitude of snack foods. He'd quickly prepared some soup, and served it with rice he'd discovered in his fridge along with soft drinks procured also from the fridge. One empty bowl and several empty bottles were set off to one side as the two blondes tried to think of a way to purge the tainted chakra from Sasuke's system.

"We could feed him some soldier pills, to boost his chakra levels?" Naruto offered weakly, only for Minato to shake his head and open his mouth to offer his rebuttal when a new voice spoke up.

"That would boost all of his chakra, tainted chakra included. Try again gaki." Naruto twisted around to see Jiraiya crouched comfortably on his windowsill. A second later, the large man swung to the floor and crossed to the empty couch and sat down.

"Come in why don't you? And do make yourself comfortable." Naruto said sardonically, repositioning himself so that he could face both his mentor and Minato at the same time. "And if chakra pills don't work, what would you suggest we do?"

"Come up with a new jutsu. Didn't you reinvent the henge before you graduate?" Minato asked, slouching down comfortably in his chair once more.

Naruto growled slightly. "Not exactly. But I see your point."

Jiraiya chuckled, shaking his head for a second before adding his two cents. "Between the two of you, you'll come up with something. But Tsunade asked me to check on you- and to talk to you about the Akatsuki."

All three men grew quiet as they thought of the evil organization that was after all the jinchuuriki and their respective demons. Naruto's eyes were narrowed slightly- once Jiraiya had heard he'd run from Konoha, the older shinobi had tracked him down to Tazuna's home in Wave and warned him of the group's existence and their purpose.

Jiraiya simply was thinking of all the information he'd gathered over the years. Minato frowned as he recalled what Tsunade and Jiraiya had told him.

Finally Jiraiya sighed heavily, catching the attention of both father and son. "Akatsuki doesn't know about Naruto's change but when they do, they're probably going to increase their efforts to capture Naruto. You won't just have to worry about Itachi and Kisame anymore- you'll probably have multiple pairings try and attack you, if not the leaders themselves."

Naruto growled slightly, his gaze flickering to Minato, the inadvertent cause of his situation, before focusing his attention inward for a brief moment. Jiraiya and Minato watched for a few seconds as Naruto slumped forward before finally speaking. "Kyuubi's pretty confident that I'd be able to take them, but he'd 'rather not see his theory tested'. I think I could take on one pair at a time; I'm not sure about multiple teams of S-class nuke-nin. Maybe if I went to full fox form, but I'd rather not."

Jiraiya nodded approvingly at Naruto's hesitancy. "Well, from my reports they're still focusing on the lower bijuu like the Nekomato. I've talked to all of the villages with jinchuuriki that I could but I'm not sure if my warnings took root."

"Heh. Your warning to me certainly "took root." Got another mask out of the damn thing," Naruto chuckled as he remembered meeting.

_  
Naruto sat next Inari on the dock, paddling their feet in the sea as they discussed the event that had caused them to meet. Naruto had just recounted his part in the mop up after Zabuza had killed Gatou when both boys heard a wooden shoe clack onto the dock._ _"You're a hard kid to track down; despite the fact you wear an orange jumpsuit, Naruto."_

_Naruto twisted around, eyes widening to see Jiraiya standing above him, arms folded. Jiraiya continued to look stern and imposing for a moment longer before relaxing. He smiled reassuringly at the stunned Naruto. Inari looked between the two ninja, tugging at Naruto's jacket. _

"_Naruto-nii-san? Who's this?" Naruto looked down to see Inari and relaxed slightly. _

_The blonde smiled down at the boy. "Just a friend, Inari. Why don't you go help your mom?" Inari hesitated for a moment, but nodded and rose, trotting off to the house where his mother was busy preparing dinner. _

_Both shinobi watched the boy leave before looking at each other once more. Naruto returned to looking out over the water, his feet absently swishing in the water. Jiraiya took the subtle hint and sat next to the teen, crossing his legs and leaning back on his hands before speaking._

"_Care to explain your unexpected departure?" The large man asked without preamble or warning. _

_Naruto looked at him flatly. "Is no one capable of figuring out that I didn't feel like taking another beating from the village mobs?"_

_Jiraiya shrugged. "Depends. I'll admit Kakashi should've known better but your comrades are clueless as to why you left. Tsunade's claimed that you left on a training mission, to prevent your teammates from forming a search party."_

_Naruto looked surprised at that. Jiraiya continued speaking as it he didn't notice the blonde's expression. "How long you plan on 'training'?"_

_It was the jinchuuriki's turn to lean back on his hands, letting out a long sigh. "I don't know…Originally I was planning to go to Suna for a week and a half. Stay with Gaara and his siblings before coming back."_

_Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and waved a hand to indicate their surroundings. "Obviously this isn't Suna. And it's been more than two weeks- what changed your mind?"_

_Naruto grimaced and cast a wary look about him before replying. "The seal's weakening." _

_Jiraiya sat bolt upright at that, and stared at the calm blonde. "Why the hell didn't you mention that sooner?" He demanded, restraining the urge to grab the boy by the shoulders and shake him back and forth like a rag doll. _

_Naruto's lips twitched at the toad summoner's reaction before going to explain what the Kyuubi had told him. After he had finished the explanation, Jiraiya had demanded to see the seal. Naruto obliged, lifting his simple black t-shirt. After a few moments of studying the seal, Jiraiya motioned for Naruto to drop his shirt back into place. _

"_Looks safe enough for now." The toad summoner admitted grudgingly. _

_Naruto chuckled at the man's disgruntlement before turning to look at the slowly setting sun. "Aside from Tsunade's harassing you, why are you here?" He asked, pulling his feet out of the water and setting them on the sun-warmed wood of the deck._

_Jiraiya shook his head, smiling. "Makes me wonder what life would've been like if you hadn't devised that stupid happy-go-lucky mask of yours."_

"_Painful." The blonde stated shortly, blue eyes darkening slightly. "Painful and short. The villagers would've thought that I was going to become too powerful and so would have engaged in a 'preemptive strike'." _

_Jiraiya's smile disappeared and he shook his head regretfully. "Fools, all of them. Well, you may be free from the villagers but that doesn't mean you're entirely safe out of the village."_

_Naruto looked questioningly at his mentor, waiting for him to continue his explanation. The tall man stood and jerked his head towards the nearby woods. Naruto nodded and the pair entered the trees. They continued until they reached a small clearing- ironically this particular clearing held three trees whose trunks were scarred with horizontal slashes. _

"_You remember when we were searching for Tsunade?" _

_Naruto walked over to the tree he'd particularly abused and ran his hand over the kunai marks before turning to Jiraiya, nodding. The spy master settled himself on an old stump before continuing. _

"_Then you'll definitely remember Uchiha Itachi and his partner Hoshigaki Kisame attempting to abduct you." _

_Naruto smiled slightly. "Can't exactly forget that, what with Sasuke arriving and screaming about how he'd get his revenge. I almost wanted to join Itachi in beating him…" He trailed off, a faraway look glazing over his eyes for a moment as he remembered watching his teammate being methodically incapacitated. Shaking his head, he gestured for Jiraiya to continue._

"_Well, if you recall, those two are part of an organization called Akatsuki. From what I've found out so far, it's their mission to capture all of the bijuu in this world. Or their containers. And from what my spies have seen, every member of the group is an S-class nuke-nin." _

_Jiraiya watched with some satisfaction as Naruto's eyes widened slightly as the blonde instantly grasped the seriousness of the situation. Naruto's eyes narrowed and he absently clutched at the seal on his stomach with his right hand as the left clenched into a fist. After a few minutes the blonde relaxed, letting out a slight growl. _

"_Glad to see you get the point. If you had waited to leave the village, I would've formally requested for you to be temporarily transferred from Kakashi's team to be my apprentice. But you took matter into your hands and I don't think our travel plans coincide." Jiraiya smiled briefly before going on. "Tsunade will have my head- she still wanted you to become my apprentice- but I think you having some time to yourself in the real world will do you good. Provided that you don't get snatched by Akatsuki." He glared slightly to emphasize the seriousness of his point._

_Naruto nodded absently minded, trying to think of ways to keep himself safe from the clutches of a group of murderous S-class nin who were after him for the demon he contained. After a few minutes, he sighed and looked at Jiraiya. "Have any suggestions? Kyuubi said my physical appearance will start changing soon but I don't think that will throw Akatsuki off my trail."_

_Jiraiya nodded, smirking a bit. "He's right about that- your whisker marks are already a little thicker." Naruto scowled slightly but before he could make any comment, Jiraiya spoke again. "I think your best bet would to create another mask- more like another persona. The mask is good enough to hide your emotions but to throw off Akatsuki; you'll need to become someone else entirely."_

Naruto smiled slightly as he remembered- that clearing had really been the birthplace of Kitsune. A slight growl from the back of his mind and the blonde focused back on the present in time to see Jiraiya and Minato exchange a look and sigh. Naruto coughed and glared as the two older men jumped. "We can start working on the shadow tenketsu tomorrow- after we take care of the pain seal. But it's late and I want to get some dinner before going to _bed._"

Jiraiya cocked an eyebrow. "Subtle. Reeeally subtle. Fine, we'll go. Minato can fill me on what you two discovered today." With a slight grunt, Jiraiya stood up, grabbing Minato by the elbow and hoisting him to his feet. "See you tomorrow, bright and early."

Minato sighed, wrenching his elbow away from Jiraiya's grip. "I'll show up around seven," Minato offered, receiving a terse nod in return.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Naruto muttered, turning around to move towards his bedroom. A glance backward revealed that Minato had left with Jiraiya, out the window.  


* * *

**AN: I'm done! I'm done, I'm done, I'm done! *slightly insane laughter* **

**Ahem. I just finished my junior project and it went really well- now I just have to worry about my other school work xD**


	14. XIV

Naruto yawned lazily as he slouched against his kitchen counter, almost curling around the lukewarm bowl of ramen he had made for his breakfast. Half-closed eyes contemplated the mushy noodles and soggy vegetables in front of him while his mind was sluggishly trying to think about the pain seal he was going to remove in about twenty minutes. _Eh, there's not really much to think about, _Naruto mused, thoughtfully chewing on a crunchy carrot. _Minako-sensei cracked the seal so all we have to do is apply the counter seal and it's done. _

Before the sleepy fox could take another bite of his rapidly cooling ramen, his ears pricked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and a sharp knock told Naruto that Minato had arrived. "'S open, c'mon in!" Naruto shouted, leaving his ramen on the rickety table to go get dressed.

* * *

Minato opened the door and entered the small apartment, toeing off his shoes in the small shoe area before hesitantly looking for Naruto in the living room and kitchen. Pausing in the kitchen, Minato smiled slightly at the bowl of ramen sitting on the table, abandoned only a few moments ago. "Naruto?" Hearing no response, the older shinobi ventured into the back of the apartment, checking the bathroom before hearing movement in the small bedroom. Poking his head around the doorjamb, Minato was pleased to find Naruto with his back to the door, carefully tying his seal sash into place. "You know, that sash really is ingenious," Minato commented, leaning on the door frame, ignoring the urge to stare at the various scars on Naruto's back.

aruto rubbed at his right shoulder for a moment, drawing Minato's attention to the large circular scar that dominated the area. "I just got tired of lugging around the heavy supplies in my pack," Naruto grumbled as he crouched in front of the mentioned pack to dig through the sturdy bag for a few moments, finally pulling out a reddish vest and standing to face Minato. Minato's attention, however, was still focused on Naruto's right shoulder, and the smaller circular scar that had to have been twin to the scar in back.

"Sasuke managed to uh," Minato made a vague gesture towards the scar and Naruto glanced at it for a moment before roughly pulling on his vest and leave the room, brushing past Minato before replying.

"Punch all the way through my shoulder? Yeah." Naruto led the older shinobi back to the kitchen where he picked up the ramen bowl again with a twisted smirk. "I paid him back for it though. When I bit him on the neck, I hit a pressure point and boom- he was out cold and I dragged his sorry ass back here." Explanation finished, Naruto tilted back the bowl and gulped down the remaining ramen while Minato coughed.

"Unorthodox, but effective," the older man conceded with a nod of his head before he remembered a question he had been meaning to ask. "But why bring Sasuke back," he asked, curiously as he followed Naruto back to the front door. "Why bother bringing him back at all?"

Naruto paused with his hand on the door, curiously neglecting footwear. "I had a promise to fulfill," he spoke quietly before stepping outside.

Minato stopped for a moment, a soft smile on his face as he finally followed Naruto out of the dingy apartment, shutting the door behind himself.  


* * *

"I _think _that if we lean the cot against the wall, we can fit the seal in here," Naruto said, trying to decide how much space Sasuke would take up. Minato looked around the cell and nodded in agreement as he set down a small bag of sealing supplies.

"Easier to keep him here without the ANBU freaking out _and _the floor's concrete," Minato commented with an almost gleeful look on his face. Sealers rarely got the luxury of working with smooth surfaces. The floor of the cell would work just fine- it even was slightly inclined towards a drain in the middle of the floor. Sasuke twitched before Naruto motioned for him to stand up. Reluctantly, the Uchiha did so, moving to a corner as Naruto peered at the cot's legs before easily upending the flimsy bed and leaning it against the wall with the grate of metal on concrete.

Minato nodded easily, pulling out several ink brushes of varying sizes and medium sized bowls. Naruto crouched next to the former Hokage and between the pair, soon had respectable amount of ink mixed with Naruto's blood in the bowls. Sasuke folded his arms across his chest, trying not to look interested as Naruto painted graceful symbols and swirling lines onto the concrete from the gibberish Minato read from a small scroll.

About halfway through the process, Sasuke found himself placed in the middle of the circle, shirtless as Naruto painted signs onto the Uchiha's torso, limbs and around the curse seal, Minato still directing from the edge of the circle. Just when Sasuke was beginning to doubt his ability to hold back his shivers, Naruto stuck the small ink brush he had been wielding behind his ear with a pleased grunt and carefully picked his way through the thoroughly inked floor to stand next to Minato.

"There," Minato sighed, rolling up the scroll he'd been reading from and letting it clatter to the floor. Naruto nodded absently as he sucked on a streak of dried blood on his thumb, Minato twitching slightly as Naruto removed the finger, now blood free.

"So who gets to pump in the chakra?" Naruto asked with a sardonic grin.

Minato shrugged, looking down at the complex counterseal. "I could do….your blood doesn't have any nasty bites or tricks to it, right?" Receiving a shake of the head from Naruto, Minato nodded and crouched down. "Kneel down and _don't move_," he ordered Sasuke who scoffed before obeying.

Naruto watched as Minato slowly fed his chakra into the seal, the runes lighting up with a soft blue glow before the runes painted directly on Sasuke's skin slithered up to the curse seal and seemed to _latch _onto one of the tomoe of the seal. Sasuke gasped as the tomoe seemed to resist for a moment before dissolving into the runes of the counterseal. Minato watched with satisfaction as the pain seal- hidden by the tomoe apparently- was dissolved. He gently stopped the flow of chakra, looking down at the concrete when Naruto gasped in surprise. Minato's head jerked up and his eyes widened as the other two tomoes of the curse seal uncurled briefly, revealing the rune blueprints of the curse seal before quickly disappearing.

"Shit," Naruto muttered. "All I caught sight of was a power boost seal- couldn't tell which one. Did you see anything different?"

Minato nodded, pleased. "He used linking seals to hold whatever other seals he used to make the curse seal hold together." He looked up in time to see Naruto's smug expression and rolled his eyes. "We can report to Tsunade after we clean up in here."

Naruto grunted before walking towards Sasuke, who was still crouched on the floor. "Oi, teme," Naruto started as he shook Sasuke's shoulder, jumping back in surprised as Sasuke lashed out in a punch.

"Don't. Touch it," Sasuke growled, hand clamped protectively over the diminished curse seal marking. Naruto shrugged before looking at Minato.

"Don't suppose you know any small suiton jutsu," Naruto asked as Sasuke lay down on his cot, ignoring the pair. Minato felt his heart contract for a moment. Yes, he did know small suiton jutsu- a lot actually. Kushina had been the one to teach him…"Yeah," he said gruffly as he formed the hand seals and held out his palm out over the floor as water from the air condensed and splashed onto the ground. Naruto scuffed his feet over the floor, helping to remove the ink while Minato held the jutsu until most of the ink had been washed away. "We'll be back later," he told Sasuke as Naruto unlocked the cell door.

Naruto stopped for a moment, looking vaguely guilty, spoke up. "Actually…I was hoping to stay and talk to teme- I'll catch up later."

Minato looked surprised but nodded easily. "Okay….I'll go make the report to Tsunade then."

Naruto nodded and Minato left the area without a backward glance. Naruto watched as the former Hokage walked around a corner before letting the cell door close. Sasuke raised an eyebrow as Naruto backed up against the wall across from the foot of the cot and slid down to sit on a mostly dry patch of concrete with a soft sigh as his eyes closed. Sasuke stood watching the blonde for a moment before turning away to take down and remake his cot. The Uchiha was sighing in disgust at his wet blanket and pillow when Naruto finally spoke.

"Was it worth it?" Naruto voice was soft but casual, as if commenting on the weather.

Sasuke spread his blanket over the toilet so it could try to dry before turning to look at Naruto. "Was what worth it," he asked, wondering what the blonde talking about.

Naruto cracked open an eye and looked at Sasuke. "Was going to Orochimaru worth it?"

Sasuke drew back a step, a hand drifting over his hips and the small scars there before deciding a change of topic was in order. "Why are you here dobe?"

Naruto shrugged, cracking open his other eye to watch as Sasuke settled gingerly on his damp cot. "I could stay here with your absolutely _charming _presence, go out into the village in my henge and risk running into the Rookie Nine or prowl the forest. I'm not inclined to the latter options at the moment.

"Why bother with the henge at all? I'm sure the others would be _glad_," Sasuke sneered at the word, "to see you return."

Naruto growled slightly, eyes narrowing. "What if I don't want to come back," he asked in a dangerously soft voice. Sasuke felt his eyes widen for a moment before he turned away with a grunt. The pair settled in a slightly companionable silence, the only sound being the rustle of clothes as either one shifted slightly.

After what seemed like an half hour Naruto opened his eyes and glanced towards the cell door, nostrils flaring slightly as he drew in a deep sniff of air. "Someone's coming," he drawled lazily as the secure lock clicked open and the door opened to show a seal masked ANBU. The elite shinobi's hand was half raised in greeting when Naruto rose to his feet with alacrity, looking surprised.

"Naruto-kun….I wasn't aware that you were back." If the ANBU was surprised, he hid it well with an icy tone. Naruto's shoulders slumped and his hand crept to rub at the back of his neck uneasily.

"Seal…I didn't know you were active again…" Naruto's voice trailed off as he looked up to see a pair of flinty brown eyes glaring at him as Seal looked over the physical changes in his appearance.

"Tsunade-sama assigned me personally to Sasuke's case," Seal explained in a flat voice.

"Congrats teme- you got the best psychoanalyst and therapist in ANBU on your case," Naruto announced in overly cheerful tones.

"Tch….if there's anyone who needs therapy, it's you dobe," Sasuke grunted from his cot, eyes fixing on the ceiling.

"Been there, done it." Naruto glanced back to see Sasuke's ill-concealed surprise before looking back at Seal, who folded his arms.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to kick you out now Naruto-kun- Patient confidentiality and all that." His voice was a shade friendlier as Naruto strolled out the door.

"Got it. See ya teme, Seal. Tell Iruka-sensei that I said hi," Naruto grinned slightly only to stop at Seal light chuckle.

"I won't have to. You can expect a visit from him yourself and soon. See you around, Naruto-kun." Before Naruto could reply with more than a twitch, Seal shut the cell door with a friendly wriggling of gloved fingers.

Naruto stared at the shut door for a moment with some horror before reluctantly slinking down the corridor and applying his henge as he emerged into the hustle of ANBU HQ. _Guess I'll go prowl around the forest…_

_

* * *

_**AN: I have been _waiting _to introduce Seal to everyone :3 He just rocks. **

**And Iruka-sensei comes in, next chapter! See everyone next week. **


	15. XV

**AN: *breaks out laughing, with a slightly hysterical edge to it* I'm done! Done with math, done with physics, done with AP Lang! The assignments at least- I don't get out till the 17th. But here, see who Seal is!**

* * *

Naruto sighed as he prowled about the forest near the northern gate of Konoha, paws padding softly on the leaf littered ground. There were a few predators in the area, but nothing larger than a wolf pack and the alpha had enough sense to stay away from Naruto's distinct presence. Naruto stopped as his sensitive ears picked up a rapidly approaching chakra signature. A low whine emerged from Naruto's muzzle.

Rearing back on his hind paws and balancing, Naruto quickly changed to his human form, shivering slightly as the heat from the ensuring fire and hot breeze dissipated quickly in the shaded forest. Nose twitching slightly, Naruto rolled his head to loosen his neck with another sigh. "Hello Seal," he muttered under his breath, turning to look at the crouched ANBU.

Seal stood quickly and reached for his mask, sliding the tough material to the back, revealing tanned skin, a wide smile and a very memorable scar that stretched across the bridge of the nose, reaching both cheeks. "Guess again," was the cheerful rejoinder. Naruto quirked an eyebrow but shrugged.

Iruka didn't reply but crossed his arms, the very teacher-like pose out of sorts with the regulation ANBU uniform. "Week and a half at most, hmm? Going to visit Gaara-sama, hmm?"

Naruto cringed underneath Iruka's disappointed gaze, letting his gaze for sliding down and to one side. "Things changed," he muttered under his breath.

Iruka rolled his eyes, and shifted his weight so that he could sit comfortably on the branch he was standing on. "I gathered that much," he commented in a dry tone. "What _really _happened?"

Naruto shrugged, fiddling with the ends of his sash. "Oh nothing much," he muttered, "If you ignore the fact that the seal weakened enough for my human chakra to get absorbed by Kyuubi's youki and I'm now the heir to that title…" His voice trailed off as Iruka choked and clutched at the branch beneath him.

"_What_," Iruka managed to get out as his mind to come to grips with the notion of Naruto not being human.

Naruto looked faintly amused at his old teacher's reaction. "You heard me," he shrugged absently, sitting on a fallen tree's decomposing trunk.

Iruka sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily, clasping his hands together. "So how does this affect your plan?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes and grinned mischievously. "Which plan? I have so many of them…"

Iruka rolled his eyes again and prayed silently for patience. "Well, are you going to come back _at all _now? What about becoming Hokage?"

Naruto slumped, sliding down from his seat to flop on the ground, limbs flopping out, spread-eagled. "Saa…I don't know. My future duties as the Kyuubi bijuu don't include settling in one place at the moment, but that could change…I still have to deal with the Akatsuki for one thing. But I don't think I'll be returning to Konoha, no…"

Iruka frowned- as ANBU, he knew of the organization but he still wasn't sure how Naruto (or anyone really) could "deal" with the Akatsuki. But then again, if Naruto really did have all the power of the Kyuubi under his direct control…Iruka shivered at the thought. "What about becoming Hokage?" he asked, again thinking of the power Naruto could wield in protection of the village, if he stayed.

"Not happening," Naruto stated in a flat tone of voice, staring up at the sky. "I could've managed it if the seal hadn't weakened but any chance of my leading this village vanished with my former humanity," he scowled for a brief moment before cracking a small grin. "I better tell Konohamaru that I yield to him…"

The pair sat in silence for a moment, letting Iruka absorbing the wealth of information Naruto had dumped on him. "So what are you going to be doing then, after Akatsuki is no longer a threat?" The ANBU/Chuunin asked, curious.

Naruto blinked, surprised. "Oh…I'll probably take over Ero-sennin's network and let him retire."

His casual statement made Iruka sit up straight in shock, eyes wide as he looked at Naruto. "Jiraiya-sama's going to _retire?_ But he's been managing Konoha's spy networks since….since the Second Great War!"

"Exactly!" Naruto tossed his hands in the air for a moment in exasperation. "He's _tired. _Besides- after retiring, he can focus on writing some _decent _literature for a change."

"Kakashi is just going to be crushed," Jiraiya spoke up from a higher tree branch, making Iruka jump in surprise while Naruto shrugged lazily.

"I'm sure you'll come up with a _wonderful_ ending for Icha Icha," Naruto commented sarcastically, scowling. "Did you need me for anything Ero-sennin or are you just here to check on me?"

"Weeeeeeelllll," Jiraiya drawled, "It would be nice if you didn't blab about my retirement for one thing."

"I'll take that as a "No, Naruto, I'm just here to harass you" then," Naruto grumbled, raking his hand through his hair.

Iruka choked silently as the two continued a light and easy banter before Jiraiya finally arrived at his reason for the visit. "I'm actually about to leave Konoha," he stopped at Naruto's low throated whine and the almost hurt look in Naruto's eyes. "Don't give me that look Naruto; you know you can't leave yet."

Naruto just shook his head, denying the subject. "Whatever….So you're abandoning me to the leaves for a reason?"

"My spy network has caught word of the Akatsuki's plans and movements and so I'm off to verify what they have reported. I'll be sending my reports to you via Gamakichi or his brother and you'll be bringing them to Tsunade," Jiraiya finished explaining, folding his arms as Naruto let his gaze drop to the forest floor, thinking.

"Fine," Naruto muttered after a moment, looking back up at Jiraiya who nodded in satisfaction.

"Then I'm off," the sage announced brightly, nodding cordially to Iruka, whose eyes had narrowed as he watched Naruto, before taking off. Iruka nodded back, distracted by the unspoken implications of Naruto's emotions. Even now, the blonde was staring after the path Jiraiya had taken with a mixture of longing and betrayal, an unknown emotion wildly gleaming in his eye.

"Not going to return," Iruka murmured under his breath. "Not going to return by choice or by instinct…"

Naruto slowly dragged his eyes from Jiraiya's trail and sent a cool look towards Iruka. "Sometimes I really hate that perceptive therapist training you have," Naruto half growled as he turned to face Iruka fully. Iruka's lips twitched but he waited for Naruto to continue. Naruto stood silent for a moment longer before his eyes dropped the floor again as he gave an unhappy whine. "Dammit…You're right. Kitsune are solitary creatures, roaming the territories they claim after leaving the den- Since I don't have a territory per se, I don't, or rather _can't, _settle down anywhere. The kitsune in me feels as though villages are territories of rather benevolent…beings and don't like letting me stay long in any claimed area. And it's rather hard to find an open territory nowadays."

Iruka blinked at the explanation that made surprising sense. "I…see," he said softly, examining a leaf before detaching the leaf and twirling it between forefinger and thumb slowly. Naruto cleared his throat uncomfortably, shifting from foot to foot.

"We'd better get back to Konoha," he mumbled, "Minato doesn't like hunting for me in the woods."  


* * *

Minato and Naruto both jumped as the lights suddenly flickered and abruptly powered down. Naruto stood, the kunai in his pouch shifted slightly, clinking. "What the _hell _happened," he growled under his breath, vulpine eyes easily adjusting to dark. Minato and Sasuke remained still, blind as bats in the seemingly endless darkness. Naruto's ears twitched as a static hum crackled for a moment before an irritated voice came onto the PA.

"Sorry everyone, they're repairing some of the electric glitches in the systems and some _idiot electrician_ decided to cut power on us. I know all the important areas are on the backup generators but the rest of us get to break out the old torches."

The PA abruptly cut off and Naruto's lips twitched in a faint smile as he heard faint murmurs of the disgruntled ANBU grunting about the security risks. Naruto turned to see Minato move. "I don't suppose anyone knows a small Katon juts-Ow! What the hell was that?" Minato bent and rubbed his shin while Naruto let a small chuckle escape.

"The bed. Don't move, I'm going to light the torches on the wall," Naruto explained dryly as he moved easily in the dark. He reached the wall easily and removed the first torch from its holding with a slight grunt, clasping his hand over the pitch smeared top.

Minato and Sasuke watched curiously as a slight red glow wreathe Naruto's hand, clasped over the torch. The glow- _Chakra, _Minato realized with a small sense of amazement- strengthened in light and color. After a few minutes flame flared violently into life, engulfing Naruto's hand for a moment before Naruto drew back his hand, satisfaction evident in his eyes as he placed the torch in its bracket. Sasuke grunted his expression unimpressed. "Tch…Neat trick, dobe."

Naruto glanced up from lighting the other torches in the cell. "Just because _some _of us don't know any _small _Katon jutsu," he commented dryly, placing a second torch in its place "Doesn't mean that the rest of us can come up with new tricks."

Minato watched, eyes narrowed in an analytical glare as he watched Naruto light the third and final fourth torches to light the cell. "How did you do that?" he asked finally.

Naruto rolled his eyes before smearing his pitch covered hand on the darkened wall. "My chakra nature is _fiery _in general. Even I can remember the Academy field trip to the Kyuubi Fields. Plants were still growing from the ashes of Kyuubi Fires."

Minato nodded faintly, his thoughts whirling away. A new thought occurred and Minato straightened his spine with an audible crack. "I think we just found the solution to the shadow chakra system."

It was Naruto's turn to narrow his eyes. "Are you contemplating what I _think _you're contemplating?"

Minato grinned, a mischievous look about him. "Well what am I thinking then?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and sat on the ground, propping his head on one fist. "_I'm _supposed to be the trickster, but I think the idea has merit. I know I have the chakra control for such an idea."

Sasuke watched the exchange with apprehension, worrying as Naruto and Minato stood, still discussing their unknown idea without mentioning the actual idea, and left the small cell.  


* * *

"Gah, screw it!" Another hapless sheet of paper suffered a painful death by Tsunade's ink-stained fingers. The Hokage glared at the small mountain of shredded, crumpled and ink covered paper that sat where her trash can once stood. The trash can was still there, just hidden. Tsunade glanced at the clock and let her head thud against her desk in a most un-Hokage like fashion. After a moment, she sighed and sat up straight. "Screw it," she mumbled, "I'll just say he's back and toss him to the civilian mob….but Shizune would be unhappy with me." The busty woman let out a groan and sat back in her chair. "I'll just say he's back, working with a traveling shinobi on seals." Satisfied with her new game plan, the tired Hokage stood up and exited her office, walking with a slight sway in step towards her home.

* * *

Halfway across the village, a blonde snuck across the rooftops and landed on a balcony as stealthily as if he was infiltrating an enemy village. "Damn my curiosity…" The blonde muttered easing through an open window to land in a wary crouch- he didn't want to wake Naruto. Walking on silent feet, Minato glanced into the living room to see Naruto loosely curled in the fetal position, a hand absently curled around a pillow.

Smiling slightly, Minato looked about him. The kitchen appeared normal, showing a single table and chair. Some dishes were in the sink, appearing to be at least a week old. The fridge and freezer held relatively normal items, along with most of the cupboards. When he opened one however, he confronted by a large _wall _of ramen. Minato's lips twitched as he looked at one package of Instant Miso. After a moment, he frowned; the expiration date was almost more than three years past.

A thought occurred and the former Hokage quickly rifled through the other cupboards and fridge once more. "All this different food is more than two weeks old…Naruto hasn't been here that long." The blonde remembered Naruto mention some friends remodeling. "Maybe they stocked the fridge," he muttered, returning to the ramen cabinet.

Minato shifted some of the ramen to one side, revealing more ramen and a few cracked and chipped dishes. Minato frowned, pulling out one bowl and rolling it about in his hands, feeling the brittleness of the pottery and various imperfections along the surface. Sighing at what the bowl implied in his son's life, Minato placed the dish back on the shelf and closed the cupboard door.

Leaving the kitchen, Minato continued his inspection in the bathroom. More signs of slight poverty were shown in the cheaper brands of soap and shampoo, the lack of conditioner and the worn out shower curtain. The mirror had a small crack, and a corner was missing entirely. The sink was in similar disrepair, as well as toilet, though that seemed to be the best thing in the small room….

Moving down the hallway, Minato bypassed the bedroom and opened a door to find a linen closet, filled with some new linen. Shifting past the newer ones, again, Minato found old worn sheets, some inexpertly patched, or some with holes and tears. Feeling his heart sink a little lower into his stomach, he closed the closet door before slipping to stand before the final door in the small apartment.

Opening said door, Minato felt a slight smile as he entered what appeared to Naruto's old training room. There were signs of hardship, but it was clear Naruto had tried to get the best he could for training. A small secondhand scroll case held an extensive collection of scrolls was tucked into one corner, a Pilates mat rolled up and leaning against it. In the opposite corner was a punching bag, underneath which were some weights and hand wraps. Glancing around, the blonde had to muffle a burst of laughter as he spotted what appeared to be sand filled punching bags that resembled Kakashi and Sasuke.

After a few minutes more, Minato exited the training room and returned to Naruto's bedroom. He scanned the room, focusing mostly on the desk and closet. There were a few papers on the desk, the drawers mostly empty except for a few writing utensils. It made sense; a shinobi was gone from the village most of the time. The only reason that desks were standard furniture was so that the shinobi would have someplace to write mission reports. Apparently the Nidaime had gotten tired of reading illegible reports and commissioned the carpenters to build an army of desks…

Shaking his head, the blonde turned his attention to the closet. He ignored the horrible orange outfits and the too-small zori. He opened the closet fully, carefully to avoid any creaking of the hinges. There was much more- there were some shelves that held some dusty kunai and shuriken. A small rag and some polish sat on one small shelf. The rest of the shelves were either empty or holding some odds and ends- a bandage roll there, a box of band-aids here.

His eyes flickered to the floor, absently at first but sharpening in focus as he noticed a seam in the floor, in the back corner. Feeling around the floor of that area, the former Hokage confirmed mentally that there was _something _hidden underneath the floor. Looking about, he grabbed a random kunai off the shelf and set to prying the false floorboards from its place. After a few minutes, it came off somewhat violently, revealing the hidden contents.

Minato's eyes widened slightly as he looked down some worn toys, some photos and a few crumpled drawings. A hand reached out and pulled out one of the drawings- it showed a tall stick figure with a spiky ponytail and a crude ANBU mask holding the hand of a smaller stick figure with blond hair. Badly scrawled katakana labeled the picture "Me and Seal." Flipping the page over, a neater hand had written "Naruto's drawing" followed by a date, more than a decade old. Minato smiled slightly, and looked at the other drawings. Usually they showed only Seal and Naruto, but a few held others, like the Sandaime or the owner of Ichiraku or some other shinobi. All of the drawings were in crayon, crude in form, but to Minato they were glimpses into the few happy moments of his son's life.

Placing the drawings back in the small safe, he removed the photos. Minato smiled slightly as he flipped through them. Flick, Naruto and Seal at Ichiraku. Flick, Naruto on the top of a slide in one of the many parks scattered across the village. Flick, Naruto sitting triumphantly on Sarutobi's lap, arms crossed defiantly across his chest, most of his face covered by the formal Hokage hat. Flick, Naruto and Ichiraku's owner talking together (about ramen?). Flick- Minato paused.

Unlike the other photos, this one didn't show Naruto. Instead it showed the stern stone visage of the Shodaime- with various graffiti markings painted across the legendary shinobi's face. Peeking at the next two photos, he let out a slight groan- both the Nidaime and Sandaime's faces were similarly "decorated." With a slight sense of dread, the former Hokage shuffled to the next picture, wincing as he saw the painted swirls and spirals on his chiseled stone cheeks, the bright green "eyelashes" and the bright red "lipstick".

"Enjoying the show?" A low voice growled from the door.

Minato jumped and twisted from his seated position to see a less than happy Naruto standing there, arms folded across his bare chest and his tails lashing slightly behind him. Minato stayed silently as Naruto padded over and tossed the photos back into the small safe, and shoved the false floorboards back into place. The kitsune stood back up and leveled a glare at his still quiet blood relative.

"Any particular reason you were snooping around?" Naruto wasn't growling, but his tails betrayed his unhappiness, still whipping behind him.

"I...I just wanted to know about you." Minato spoke quietly, the excuse sounding thin and weak, even to his ears.

"Last time I checked when you want to know about someone, you ask _them. _You don't snooping about their house or apartment." Naruto sent a pointed look at his father, absently hitching his hip on his old desk.

Minato could feel his own temper rising- he'd been trying to get to know his son but if they weren't in a working environment; Naruto became distant and uncommunicative.

"It's hard to talk to someone when you don't know if you're talking to a mask or not!" He finally replied, a hint of anger leaking through to his tone.

Naruto stood up stiffly, uncrossing his arms, clawed fingertips clearly flexing. He headed to the door, anger apparent in every motion. Minato vaguely wondered why mentioning his son's masks would make him angry. He got his answer when Naruto paused at the bedroom door. "It's your fault that those masks were created in the first place," Naruto growled through gritted fangs before leaving the room. Seconds later, Minato clearly heard- and felt- the front door slam shut.

* * *

**AN: Uh-oh....Unhappy Naruto xD Where ever did he run away to? You'll see- next week!**


	16. XVI

Naruto stormed through the halls of the ANBU holding cells, his temper held by tenuous strands of self-control. Arriving at Sasuke's cell, the blonde roughly let himself inside, the occupant of the cell waking up as Naruto let out a feral roar as he violently slammed his fist into the concrete side of the cell. Sasuke's eyes were wide with shock, muscles tense as Naruto whirled to face him, expression livid. "I don't give a fucking damn if we share blood, the next time he trespasses and snoops in _my den_ I'm going to rip his throat out!"

Sasuke, deciding that not cooperating with Naruto was dangerous to his health, frowned. "Who trespassed?"

Naruto growled and spat violently on the floor, not noticing the seal masked ANBU who had quietly entered the cell or Sasuke's grateful look towards the silent operative. "Yondaime, who else?!"

Sasuke's eyebrow rose in surprise. "…You and the Yondaime? Share _blood?_ But that would make you his…son…"

Naruto's eyes flashed dangerously and Sasuke shrunk back towards the wall. "Unfortunately, yes. And I swear that I'll send him _back _to the Shinigami's gut with my bare claws if he tries anything like this again!" As if to prove his point, Naruto's hands were tensed, ready to shred something.

Sasuke took a deep breath, reminding himself that Seal would probably stop Naruto from killing anything and spoke. "What was he doing?"

Naruto's hands fisted and the blonde growled. "He goes through _my _den, pawing through _my _things in the dead of night and then expects me to open up?! Fuck him, he can just go to Jiraiya or whoever and talk to them since he's not getting shit from me! Stupid bastard, thinking he can just _waltz _into my life and think I'll roll over and go "oh hey dad, how's it going, I love you!" No he can just…just..." Naruto stopped, unable to think of a fresh insult and so he just stood there, fists clenched and eyes narrowed as he panted.

"I never took you for a hypocrite, Naruto."

Naruto's head jerked up and his nostrils flared before he whirled around to face the speaker. "And what the hell does _that _mean, Iruka-_sensei_?"

Sasuke's breath hitched slightly and he watched as Seal stiffened, slightly relieved that Naruto's intense focus was not on him anymore. When Seal didn't say anything, Naruto snorted. Slowly, Seal/Iruka reached up with a gloved hand and removed his mask, hanging the battered porcelain on his waist, leveling Naruto with his best glare. "We'll talk about that later. Now, the man is just trying to get to know you Naruto. Is that really such a crime? You did the same with Sasuke."

Sasuke's gaze kept moving between Iruka's stony expression and the ANBU mask that seemed so out of place on the Academy teacher's hip. "You're Seal?" he muttered under his breath, trying to reconcile the two seemingly separate people into one.

Iruka glanced over towards Sasuke and his gaze softened as he chuckled. "Don't you know? It's _always _the quiet ones. Barring Naruto of course."

Naruto growled softly, recapturing Iruka's attention. "I never trespassed on Uchiha lands. I just thawed the teme out with my dazzling charm." The last sentence was spoken with a slight chuckle, Naruto's rage subsiding for a moment.

Iruka mentally rolled his eyes and prayed for patience. "Be as that may, Sasuke's defenses weren't as strong or developed as yours, Naruto. The Yondaime wants to know _you _Naruto, and desperately. He wants to make things up to you."

Naruto's muscles tensed and he leaned back, growling, as if that would deter Iruka's logic. Sasuke watched silently as Naruto just shook his head, muttering something about it not being that simple, that the bastard couldn't just "make it up to him."

"He's right, dobe. You wanted to know what a real family felt like. And now that you have the chance, you're rejecting it?" Sasuke turned his head and spat in disgust. "Hypocritical. Or are you just afra-" Sasuke choked suddenly as Naruto fists grabbed his top and twisted, restricting Sasuke's air supply dramatically. Sasuke's pupils dilated and his breathing hitched Naruto pulled him up.

"_Shut_. _Up_. Just shut up. You _left_, my so-called _nakama,_" Naruto hissed, shaking Sasuke slightly.

Sasuke couldn't say anything, stopped by the lack of air and his own fear. Iruka's eyes narrowed and he stepped forward. "Naruto!" he snapped, diverting the blonde's attention away from the semi-paralyzed Uchiha.

Naruto looked at Iruka before registering the smell of fear that was almost pouring off of Sasuke. With a muttered oath, the blonde set Sasuke back on the cot and took several deep breaths, visibly reigning in his temper.

Iruka ignored this in favor of checking on Sasuke, whose locked muscles were starting to loosen up and his breathing pattern was settling back into a normal rhythm, though the eyes remained glazed, the near invisible pupils dilated. Iruka glanced up as Naruto walked over to stand behind him, a brooding expression on his face. "Shit….What did Orochimaru _do _to him?"

Iruka stood back up and shrugged- Sasuke would find his way out whatever memory held him in its thrall soon enough. "I've spent the last few months trying to figure that out, beyond the obvious of course."

Naruto scowled, glancing at the marks on Sasuke's hips. "So did you go back into ANBU just to get your paws on Sasuke's case, or was there something else?"

Iruka shrugged again, looking slightly guilty. "Mostly because of Sasuke's case. I can't go on ANBU missions with the Academy still in session and everyone adores me."

Naruto nodded before getting a sly look on his face. "So…does Kakashi know about Seal?"

Iruka groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes, he knows. His nose is too good not to notice. We don't exactly mention ANBU matters at home anyway. Seal and Ookami are two different people from Iruka and Kakashi. Just like how Kitsune is different from Naruto." The last sentence was said casually and Iruka was rewarded with Naruto scowling before heaving a resigned sigh.

"When did you crack it?" He asked in a mock-depressed voice.

Iruka opened his mouth to answer when Sasuke lurched up to a sitting position with a gasp. Naruto stepped back as Iruka's attention instantly focused on Sasuke as the Uchiha started trembling, hiding his face as Iruka murmured comforting words. A single look backwards at Naruto and a jerk of the head, informed the blonde that he couldn't stay any longer. Naruto raised his hands in a surrendering manner and quietly left the ANBU holding cells, wondering how many training logs he could demolish before having to leave to meet with Min-_that man _again.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he contemplated the past week. The two seal masters had been at odds, ever since Minato had intruded on Naruto's apartment. Naruto had taken the invasion of privacy deeply, not allowing Minato to speak to him unless it dealt either with the curse seal or, possibly, Akatsuki. Minato had almost shrunken in on himself as a result; eyes faded to a shade of grayish-blue…Sasuke's eyes flicked aimlessly about his cell, a memory just eluding his perceptions…

_A small boy sat on the edge of the park, watching the other children tussling about the playgrounds. Sasuke paused in his play, watching the small blonde who watched them. Blue eyes flickered up to meet his gaze in a moment and the boy flinched back, some horrible emotion filling those blue-gray eyes before the small boy quickly scrambled off his bench and ran away, head down and small arms and legs pumping furiously. _

Sasuke sighed as he mentally gave the small boy his proper name and contemplated the similarities between boy and father when isolated. _You could escape you know…_A sly voice whispered to him. _Use this disunity to escape….Escape back to-_ Sasuke ignored that thought firmly.

_I will decide what I will do and do not do, _Sasuke thought firmly back as the sly voice.

* * *

Naruto blinked at the thick and formal parchment sitting innocently on his kitchen table. . "What the…" He flipped open the parchment and rubbed at his nose as the sweet, bitter smell of green tea overwhelmed that particular sense.

_You are formally invited a Tea Ceremony at Osaka Tea House in Upper Konoha on the 18__th__ of June._

Naruto sat down in amazement, staring at the invitation. "Who the bloody devil would know about my hobby," he murmured in amazement, a finger tracing the elegantly brushed kanji and hiragana.

Minato paused in the middle of scrubbing away the grime in the smaller bathroom of his house. The seals on the invitation he had paid for had been broken, so Naruto had at least opened the invitation…

* * *

Kitsune walked easily through the streets, ignoring the strange looks that came from his formal kimono. His lower back and scalp ached horribly from shape shifting earlier in his apartment. _Stupid formal kimonos…So decent way to hide my tails, _Naruto grumbled for a moment before subsiding back into the calmer thoughts of Kitsune. _With shape-shifting, there's no chance of anyone finding out about me. _

Soon the kitsune had arrived at the large and formal teahouse and stood before its door for a moment, drawing in a deep breath air. A delighted grin spread across his cheeks as he scented the rain in the wind that whipped past him- there was a storm coming and it smelt like a big one. Kitsune allowed himself a pleased growl before he schooled his features into a neutral mask and entered the tea house. A secretary checked his invitation and led him to a small ante room. Kitsune removed his shoes and knelt on the mats provided, contemplating the scrolls hanging on the walls.

Kitsune had not been thinking for long when his ears caught the sounds of two pairs of footsteps. He turned in time for the door to slide open gently and two familiar figures entered the room. Kitsune's eyes widened as Yamato and Teuchi settled onto two of the other mats with cordial nods. _I didn't know that Teuchi and Yamato were interested in tea ceremonies…_"Ohayo gozaimasu," Kitsune spoke aloud with a respectful bow towards the two older men.

He received similar greetings and the trio chatted amiably until they were invited into the tea room proper.

* * *

Kitsune let out a satisfied sigh as he sipped the tea that the host- one Mitarashi Anko, surprisingly enough- had mixed. He bowed in respect to the host and passed the cup. "An excellent tea, Anko-san. An Uji blend?

Anko smiled slightly and inclined her head. "Hai." The ceremony continued with pleasant conversation, eventually ending up on the topic of the weather in Konoha. Kitsune perked up mentally as Teuchi entered the topic with the usual commentary of what fine weather Konoha had today.

"Aa," Kitsune agreed. "I do believe that there is a large rainstorm on its way though." He pretended to close his eyes and noticed that Yamato's muscles had tensed underneath the silk finery the ANBU was wearing. _Saa…Anyone with scars won't like cold weather. Well, anyone except Naruto and myself...  
_

"How could you tell Kitsune-san," Yamato inquired in that eerily polite manner of his.

Kitsune smiled slightly and sipped at the usacha tea Anko had just passed him before brushing the bridge of his nose. "I have a nose for the weather, Yamato-san." Yamato accepted the tea that Kitsune offered him with a nod and let the topic drift to other topics.

Eventually the tea ceremony came to a close and the trio of guest walked out together to the covered porch of the tea house. Kitsune smiled, inwardly ecstatic, while Yamato and Teuchi seemed less than overjoyed to see the almost solid sheets of rain cascading over Konoha. Yamato was the first to speak, shifting uncomfortably. "It seems you were right about the rain Kitsune-san…"

Teuchi nodded, visibly dismayed. "My kimono will suffer," he murmured unhappily.

Kitsune sent him a shrewd look, his smile widening a touch. "Ah, but not your business, correct? I can see many villagers being attracted to the idea of hot ramen on such a day."

Teuchi perked up and nodded happily as he opened a sturdy umbrella. "True, true….I better get back to the shop to help Ayame with the influx of customers then."

"Allow me to accompany you Teuchi-san," Yamato spoke easily, opening up his own umbrella. "I would enjoy a nourishing bowl of ramen, as Kitsune-san predicted."

* * *

**AN: x3 So done. So very, very, done. My relief with being done with school for the summer aside, there are two things I wanted go over.**

**Naruto ousting Iruka/Seal: Minato betrayed Naruto on a very personal and primal level by invading his den and going through his things. This leaves Naruto very angry, and very hurt- So Naruto lashes out, wanting someone to hurt just as much as he is, Seal was the unfortunate target. However, Seal is mature enough to deal with this and Sasuke's intelligent to realize that a) Seal is truly helping him and b) ANBU doesn't hand out masks willy-nilly so Iruka could kick his ass with one hand tied behind his back. That explains the lack of repercussions from Seal being unmasked.**

**Tea ceremonies: Tea ceremonies teach a person patience, concentration, and manners. Things Naruto needed to learn to master his tails and build effective Kitsune into a more effective persona- Can you honestly imagine a thirteen year old Naruto surviving a tea ceremony without insulting someone or breaking something priceless? As far as Teuchi and Yamato being there, that's incidental. Both men seem to be people who like tea ceremonies and I needed other guests. In canon, Anko does actually do tea ceremonies, so she's there legitimately. xD **

**Usacha is a thick green tea, usually served later in the ceremony with snacks. Uji is a region in Japan, renowned for it's tea.  
**

**Hmm....that's it. Next chapter, Naruto and Minato talk. So click ahead!  
**


	17. XVII

Minato stood atop a roof and peered through the downpour of raining blanketing all of Konoha at the moment. "Where _is _he," he muttered underneath his breath, suppressing another shiver as an icy trickle of rain dripped down his neck. The sudden rainstorm that had hit the village had cleared the streets as efficiently as an enemy attack- no one was out who didn't have to be out. Recognizing a certain apartment building, Minato brightened slightly before making his way to an apartment on the top floor. He knocked on the door, wincing as his frozen knuckles were jarred by the sturdy door.

The door opened fairly quickly, blasting Minato with a burst of warm air that had Minato wishing he could stay longer. Iruka blinked in surprise as he studied the absolutely drenched seal master before him. "Minato-san…What can I help you with?"

Minato ran a hand through his hair, sweeping wet forelocks out of his eyes. "D'you know where Naruto is?" he asked in a semi-desperate tone. "I've just gotten a breakthrough on the curse seal designs."

"Oh…" Iruka folded his arms and shivered as the cold temperature started invading Kakashi's wonderfully warm apartment. "I'd start by checking the Hokage Monument- he has this thing for heights. If he's not there I'd start checking the training grounds or even outside the walls- but that's only if you're really unlucky."

Minato blinked in surprise before groaning. "He's insaaaane…Just like his mother," the former Hokage moaned.

Iruka's lips twitched and he shifted, trying to keep his bare feet warm. "Are you sure you don't want a thermos of tea or a towel?" he asked courteously. Minato sighed heavily and shook his head mournfully. Wild raindrops scattered on the landing and Iruka was struck by the sudden image of a sodden marmalade cat trying to dry itself off. "Well then, good luck finding Naruto."

Minato nodded his head in thanks and turned to leap back out into the rain, muttering something about Ame being drier at the moment. Iruka shut the door with a chuckle before walking back to the couch where a very much asleep Copy-nin was curled up.

* * *

Minato approached the top of the Hokage Monument from the back woods cautiously. He had felt a flicker of Naruto's unique chakra. Pausing by a stand of trees leading out on the scrubby grass that lived on the cliff's edge, Minato sighed with relief. Naruto was standing on the stone scalp of the Third Hokage, every inch of him soaked. Minato stood for a few minutes, just taking the time to watch his son, curious as what Naruto was doing.

Naruto alerted Minato to the fact that he knew that Minato was watching by speaking softly. "Did you know that when I was younger, I wanted to be Hokage?" His tone was very mellow, matching his relaxed stance.

Minato moved out to stand by his son, looking out over the quiet visit and asked the question that his former position as a Hokage demanded. "Why?"

"Because I wanted to _protect _them," Naruto said, his jaw tightening a little. "But like I told Iruka-sensei, I lost my humanity and with it, any chance of leading this village." His voice was a mixture of bitterness and resigned weariness, dull red eyes sweeping to the left to look at Minato.

Minato's shoulders slumped and he shook his head. "It was never supposed to be like that," he said softly.

Naruto made a strange little noise in the back of his throat, fists clenching. "Then tell me," he snarled softly. "What was it _supposed_ to be like?"

Minato's mouth opened automatically, only to shut it again after a few seconds. "I don't know," he admitted. "But it would've been wonderful…" His eyes glazed over slightly, lost in the land of what could have been.

"Ye-es," Naruto muttered under his breath. "It would've been."

Minato heaved a sigh and shivered, wrapping his arms around himself in a pathetic attempt to keep warm. "How are you k-keeping warm in this rain," he asked to change the subject.

Naruto grinned briefly and reached out to place Minato's clammy, rain-slick hand on his chest. Minato's eyebrows rose of their own accord, surprised at the warmth radiating from Naruto's skin. "Bonus of demon blood," Naruto explained. "My body temperature is higher than norm-" He abruptly broke off to sneeze violently, prodding Minato's paternal instincts into overdrive.

"That's it," Minato stated firmly, transferring his grip to Naruto's bicep. "I don't care how much your mother's love of the rain is in you, or whatever your body temperature is- we getting out of this infernal weather." With that statement, he Shunshin'd them both to the entry hall of his very warm house.

Naruto sat shivering on Minato's couch, shivering slightly as Minato crouched on the fireplace hearth, arranging the firewood before setting the dry logs alight with surprisingly mundane matches. Naruto curled up to try and stop his shivering, slightly surprised as Minato stood back up, shuddering with cold. "I'm s-shocked, that you didn't learn a small K-katon jutsu after the blackout in A-Ah-Ahh-" Naruto broke off his sentence to sneeze violently.

Minato hurried away for a moment and Naruto could hear the sounds of a door opening, followed by the sounds of cloth rustling and a door shutting. Minato reappeared in the living room doorway, blankets and a few towels piled high. Minato dumped the pile on a spare chair before tossing two of the towels at Naruto. "Dry off with those and then grab a few of the blankets," Minato ordered, eyebrows rising as Naruto sneezed for a second time.

"Ah hell," Naruto mumbled under his breath, wiping at his nose with a corner of a towel.

Minato paused in the middle of toweling off his own hair. "What is it," he asked in a curious voice.

Naruto scrubbed at his face and neck. "'M getting a cold," he muttered darkly, continuing to scrub away at the rainwater dripping from his hair.

Minato blinked, surprised. "A…cold? Demons can get sick?"

"Yes," Naruto replied in a sour tone. "We're not quite as susceptible as ningen, but we can still get sick. Colds keep the immune system strong after all. Most of us just sleep through them..."

Minato blinked again, still surprised. "Oh-" He was interrupted by the doorbell ringing unexpectedly. "Who, in their right mind, would be _out_ in this weather? Stay there, I'll go see who it is," he motioned for Naruto to stay sitting. Naruto nodded and continued drying himself off.

Minato hurried to the entryway and cracked open the door. A sopping wet Seal stood there, some scrolls, what looked like some more of Naruto's clothing and what looked like some common cold medicine carried in rain-proof plastic bag. Minato stood there for a moment, feeling slightly stunned. The ANBU shifted his burden for a moment before Minato remembered his manners and invited the poor shinobi indoors.

"Hello Minato-san. Tsunade-sama sent me to play nursemaid to the both of you," Seal explained, a slight hint of resent slipping into the wet ANBU's tone. Minato smiled sheepishly and quickly relieved Seal of his burdens and snagged a towel so the dripping ninja could dry off. Seal quickly wiped down his armor and hair before moving into the living room, all business. "First things first Minato-san- I need you and your idiot offspring to get dried off and into clean clothes."

An half hour later found Naruto and Minato dried off and in clean clothes, bundled up in blankets by the now-large fire and sipping rather large of mugs of tea that Tsunade had sent with Seal. Said Seal was standing over them, arms folded across his chest as he made sure they drank down their tea. Naruto yawned a little, slouching comfortably into the cocoon of blankets, blinking sleepily. "'Ruka-seal, you don't have to do all this," he protested weakly, only for Seal to snort.

"Jiraiya told Tsunade about your damn fool rain walks and she sent for me to make sure you both weren't about to get sick from your stupidity," Seal explained in a sardonic tone. "Now finish up that tea."

Minato blinked, trying to stay awake. "It wasn't my stupidity," he mumbled to himself, "Blame Kushina and her bloody genes…"

Naruto gaze sharpened and he seemed like he was about to ask a question when another sneeze interrupted him. What caught Seal's attention was the briefest flicker of long furry limbs wrapped around Naruto and his blankets. Minato let out a sleepy chuckle and took another sip of his tea while Seal turned to Naruto, who was doing his best to look innocent.

"Naruto," Seal began in deceptively silkily tone, "Were those…tails I just saw?"

Naruto smiled hesitantly and seemed to sink into his blankets even further. "No?"

Minato blinked as the blankets seemed to wrap around the kitsune of their volition. The former Hokage gave sleepy chuckle. "Yes," he responded. Seal glanced at him for a moment before staring at Naruto.

"Drop the genjutsu," he half-ordered. "Now!"

Naruto gave a half hearted whine, seeming to wilt. But a few seconds later, nine tails flickered into existence as Naruto dropped the genjutsu that hid his less than human appendages from the world.

Seal stared at the tails wrapped securely around the blankets and his hand moved as if to pinch the bridge of his nose only to be stopped by the porcelain of his mask. "Just…drink the rest of your tea and get some rest," the elite shinobi muttered.

Naruto nodded sleepily as Minato knocked back the rest of his tea before standing, shivering as he left most of his own blankets on the couch except for one trailing from his shoulders like a superhero cape. "I'll uh, just go put my mug in the sink," he said, moving towards the kitchen

Seal nodded in approval, following the more alert of his temporary charges. "Is there anywhere I can put both of you to sleep," he asked, trying to plan ahead for night.

Minato stumbled slightly on the kitchen's threshold, catching his balance and answering as he placed his lukewarm mug in the sink. "The n-nursery should be fine. There are some futons already there."

Seal's eyes narrowed slightly, unseen as Minato turned to return to the warmer living room. "Alright," Seal agreed amiably enough. "We should take care of that before- oh. Too late." The last part was said with a smile as both Minato and Seal saw Naruto snoring softly on the couch, empty tea mug loosely clasped in both hands.

Minato shook his head softly. "Again, like his mother…Get her warm and dried off and boom- she was out like a light."

Seal nodded absently. "Really now…Here, I grab him and-"

Minato had already hefted Naruto's not-so-light form, blankets and all, into his arms and was walking towards the stairs. Seal blinked before smiling, unseen behind his mask before trailing behind the father and son up the stairs through a door. Seeing the spare futons piled in a corner, Seal hurriedly set one up and Minato gently set Naruto down, rearranging blankets and smoothing back Naruto's hair. Seal watched the pair for a moment before setting up a second futon, close to Naruto's.

"I'll just grab your blankets from the living room and douse the fire," Seal murmured. Minato nodded and stood up, yawning as he stretched. Seal quickly left and returned, blankets in hand before leaving a second time to make sure that the fire was out completely- a fine thing to be on his report: Client's house accidentally burned down due to agent carelessness!

Seal made a quick sweep of the house to make sure everything was secured, absently dropping Naruto's tea mug in the sink next to Minato's before reluctantly drifting back upstairs. He was pleasantly surprised to find Minato already in his own futon and asleep- curled up in a loose ball that was the opposite of Naruto's ungainly sprawl. Seal's lip twitched under his mask and the ANBU smiled for a moment as he settled down to watch the pair for the night.

* * *

Minato settled at his kitchen table, a morning cup of tea clasped in his hands. He rubbed at his eyes to try and get rid of the crusty goop that had collected during the night. During that brief moment, an unmasked Iruka sat soundlessly across from the blonde. Minato blinked for a few moments, his brain still sleep-fogged, before shrugging. _It's always the quiet ones…_"So, Iruka-sensei…When did you and Naruto first meet?" Minato's voice was sleep-roughened and he sipped some of his tea to lubricate his throat.

Iruka shrugged, pouring himself a cup of tea. "About half a year before he was due to start at the Academy. Technically, it was Seal who met him."

Minato nodded- many shinobi preferred to keep their ANBU selves separate from their normal lives. "Seal," he murmured, "What section of ANBU does he serve?"

Iruka inclined his head in thanks for the thoughtfulness Minato displayed before answering. " He works in Therapy- Mental and Physical. Naruto was one of his more difficult cases…" Iruka trailed off, frowning slightly as he chewed thoughtfully on his bottom lip. Minato flinched but took another sip of tea and arched one eyebrow, silently asking for an explanation.

Iruka smiled thinly, warming his hands around his own tea mug as Minato waited. "Yes…Definitely a case for the record books. Heh, he was such a terrified little waif when Seal- when I got his case file." There was a shift in Iruka's voice and his manner that let Minato know that Seal was with him now, mask or no mask. "The social isolation and physical abuse had him terrified out of his mind to go out in public. When he had to go out, his nerves were so tight that he'd constantly flinch and twitch to try and avoid as much human contact as possible.

"It took me and a few friends about four months to get through the effects of the isolation and try and get him to trust us marginally. Another three months was devoted to solely breaking him of the physical flinching. My involvement would've ended there but Sandaime-sama asked me to teach him how to read and write. Naruto learned quickly and moved on into the Academy…" Seal stopped, noticing how pale Minato's face had become. Seal cursed himself for his thoughtlessness before Iruka came back to the front.

Minato let his head sink into his hand and clutched at his hair, self recriminating thoughts running through his head. "I really did condemn him to hell," he moaned. "Shit," he whispered. Iruka sat silently and watched as one of the most legendary shinobi in the history of the five nations succumbed to a cycle of self-hatred and recrimination. The two men sat like that for what seemed like hours before Minato finally stirred, looking at Iruka with haunted blue eyes. "If he was such a good student," Minato asked in a low voice, his eyes losing some of their haunted look, "Why did he have such low grades?"

Iruka inwardly smiled and answered, anything to keep the man across from him sinking back into his depressed fugue. "I was transferred into the Academy as a teacher's assistant in Naruto's first and second years. As a therapist, I say that after the first year of academic sabotage, Naruto gave up and created his first mask of the clueless prankster. Unfortunately, I didn't get my hands on his class until his last year- and Iruka-sensei is altogether a different person from Seal."

Minato nodded shakily, gulping down more of his tea. "He has a fondness for masks," he muttered under his breath.

Iruka nodded, frowning slightly. "Ye-es…The masks, his coping mechanism, coupled with his nin-do kept him sane."

Minato let a small smile appear as he looked at the non-descript man sitting before him. "I am truly indebted to you Iruka-sensei….What's his nin-do?"

Iruka opened his mouth to reply when both men heard a loud thud from upstairs. With a glance at each other, both bolted from their chairs and rapidly found Naruto slumped on the floor of Minato's study, staring blankly at a small shrine, blankets pooled around his legs and feet. Minato froze for a moment as he saw what Naruto was looking at. "Is…Is that her?" Naruto asked in a low voice.

Minato swallowed painfully before moving to sit next to Naruto. "Y-yeah. Uzumaki Kushina. That's your mom."

Naruto nodded slowly, eyes still glued to the photographs of the red-headed kunoichi grinning like a maniac at the camera. "What was she like?" His voice was cracking a little and he roughly swiped at his eyes out of reflex. "Sh-shit! You guys r-really wanted me…"

"Of course we wanted you!" Minato almost snapped. He gave Naruto a tremulous smile, and started describing the unique person that Uzumaki Kushina was. Iruka quietly back away from the room to grab his mask and leave the house to make his report to Tsunade

* * *

**Wandering Edit was completed at 1:56 PM on March 25, 2009! **

**xD This chapter marked the end of editing what I had written so far, so from here on, the content is entirely new. Anyway, thoughts?  
**


	18. XVIII

Naruto sighed and dragged a palm over his face. "Ok. I saw the power seal. And you saw _linking _seals. Link, link, linking…Linking what? Pain to power, from power to…" Naruto's voice trailed off and he spread his hands wide, a frustrated expression on his features.

Minato started to shrug but stopped, eyes narrowing for a moment before he smiled. "The problem here is that we're both used to thinking as trained sealers. Here," he grabbed a spare scroll and a brush and some ink and scribbled out a quick seal before tossing the scroll at Sasuke. "Sasuke, how hard would you consider it to be to recreate this seal?"

Sasuke looked at the seal with the foreign kanji and lines, frowning. "Difficult."

Naruto walked over and peered at the seal for a moment. "That?! That's a freakin' storage seal for like, one kunai!" he exclaimed, ignoring Sasuke icy glare. "I mean, that's the first- oh." He grinned, grasping the point Minato had been trying to demonstrate.

"Exactly. So what are the effects we know? Pain, strength and mind control and the shadowy tenketsu and chakra. But the latter two are just by-products. Linking three seal specializing in those effects probably gave Orochimaru the curse seal."

Naruto nodded. "Ignoring the fact that if was anyone else, the seals would've backfired and that damn snake would be dead. But if we take out the major components-"

"And the shadow chakra and tenketsu- can't forget those," Minato reminded him, only for Naruto wave his hand impatiently.

"Of course. But if we take everything away, the linking seals- and the curse seal itself- with will dissolve," Naruto smiled, sliding down a wall to sit comfortably. "And knowing Orochimaru, he'd grab the first seal he sees and call it good…Now the question is, what seals did he use?"

Minato shrugged haplessly. "No idea. Personally, I think we're better off if we get rid of the shadow tenketsu. Have you gotten a chance to talk with that Hyuuga girl about our idea?"

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the unknown idea the two sealers had for getting rid of the unnatural chakra points in his body while Naruto shook his head and frowned as he explained. "I haven't gotten the chance to find her yet. I was planning to prowl the village after this brainstorm session."

Minato scowled at his son's choice of words but nodded, brushing non-existent dust or dirt off his clothes. "Well, I think that's our next step. We can go make our report- together for once- and then you can go find her."

Naruto gave a slightly feral grin as he followed Minato out of the ANBU headquarters at the thought of getting a chance to track down Hinata. It would be a challenge in such a scent-packed territory as Konoha…Naruto's thoughts were distracted by the Kyuubi's rusty chuckle from the back of his mind. _**Thinking about finally getting a proper mate, hmm, boy? Ye-esss, that Hyuuga girl would make a fine bitch- submissive and with a build for bearing **_**our **_**kits…**_

Naruto stopped dead in his tracks just outside the entrance to the holding cells. He barely had the presence of mind to hide his normal appearance with the usual genjutsu before he let his lip curl back from his fangs as his pupils rapidly dilated and contracted in response to the Kyuubi's insinuation. _I would _never _do something like that to Hinata! _

_**Never? **_Kyuubi purred maliciously. _**I can think of a vixen who might disagree…**_Naruto's face paled at the Kyuubi's reminder. While the fox could not do much to Naruto, physically or mentally, the fox was somehow able to throw Naruto into heat. The first few times, Naruto had been able to isolate himself from both humans and foxes alike but Kyuubi had managed to finally trick Naruto into prowling a vixen's territory and thrown the then four-tailed Naruto into a violent heat.

Naruto's fists clenched, barely wincing as his claws pierced his palms easily as the blonde was ready to confront the older fox demon in his mind when hands clamped onto his shoulder. "Loose the killing intent before you have all of headquarters up in a panic," a somewhat familiar voice growled in his ear as Naruto found himself being pushed after Minato, who was still happily oblivious to his offspring's newest internal conflict. "And remember that Seal's and Iruka's door is always open to you."

The outside focus, both auditory and physical, gave Naruto enough strength to block the Kyuubi's contact and jog after Minato on his own, his own flaring emotions settling as the Kyuubi's presence was no longer so close. Naruto caught a whiff of his unseen helper's scent and turned his head enough to see a familiar bushel of silver hair and a snarling wolf mask turning towards the ANBU shower rooms. Shrugging, Naruto slowed to a walk as he caught up to Minato; both blondes content to walk in silence. Soon after reentering the village proper, they took to the roofs, easily landing outside Tsunade's window.

"Oi, baa-chan!" Naruto called out, rapping the closed window. "Open up for your two genius curse-seal cracking se-!" The end of Naruto's sentence was lost in a cry of pain as the window flew open, slamming into Naruto's chin harshly. Naruto stumbled back a step, rubbing at his chin while Minato chuckled weakly and entered Tsunade's office as she glared at both of them.

"You cracked the curse seal?" She almost demanded of Minato as Naruto hopped in the window and closed it, still muttering about psycho Hokages.

Minato nodded, a pleased look on his face. "When we removed the pain seal from Sasuke, the rune blueprints of the seal flashed. Naruto saw a power seal and I saw multiple linking seals. This led us to believe that Orochimaru just cobbled a combination of seals together that just happened to work. If we take away the seal's energy or more of the major components, the rest of the seal should just dissolve away."

Tsunade nodded in understanding, having worked with healing seals as a medic. "So what are you going to try and take away? Component or energy?"

Naruto stepped forward. "Energy. Hinata observed some shadow tenketsu and chakra in teme's chakra coils so we figured we'll take those out and go from there."

Tsunade nodded once more, approvingly. "How are you going to get rid of the tenketsu though? Even the Hyuuga's can't permanently block tenketsu without the unfortunate side effect of death."

Minato and Naruto looked at each other and smiled, Naruto's being a tad more sadistic. "Cauterize the damn things," Naruto said, clearly relishing the prospect. When Tsunade looked confused, Naruto channeled some of his distinctive chakra to his hand and explained. "My chakra control is a lot better than it used to be- I had to be able to control my tails. If my chakra was still normal I could probably learn a few healing jutsu. But we think that with Hinata guiding me, I'll be able to burn out the tenketsu and maybe the chakra created by the curse seal."

Tsunade frowned as she thought the idea over but reluctantly nodded. "In your final report, make sure to see if there are any ill side effects from using the youki. When are you going to try this?"

Minato shrugged. "Probably tomorrow, after we've talked to Hinata-san."

Tsunade made a pleased sound, folding her arms. "Very good…Do either of you have any speculation on why Jiraiya couldn't break the curse seal?"

Naruto idly scratched his cheek. "Well Ero-sennin isn't the greatest at cracking seals when the blueprints are really well hidden. That and I think he really got caught up in the fact that _Orochimaru _came up with the seal and assumed that the snake was as great at seals as he is at kinjutsu."

Tsunade sat back in her chair, arms still folded. "That does sound like the pervert," she muttered to herself after a second. Focusing back on the father-son pair, she smiled. "I'll let you go find Hinata and get back to work- I'll want a full written report three days after you finally remove that blasted hickey."

Naruto snickered, pleased that his nickname for the curse seal had stuck. Minato quickly left Tsunade's office to go and make up a clean copy of the progress notes he and Naruto had created while Naruto turned to the task of tracking down Hinata. Naruto moved quickly through the village under his normal henge and entered a small training ground, trying to recall Hinata's scent had been. He folded his legs in a common meditation pose and closed his eyes as he settled his breathing in the rhythmic pattern Iruka-sensei had shown his class years ago…

Naruto's mind started to clear and he firmly set the reason for his meditation- Hinata's scent- in the front of his mind for ten seconds before allowing his thoughts to melt away, in search of what he sought. Time seemed to slow and almost stop when the sensory memory he wanted eased into his conscious awareness. Naruto's eyes snapped open and he smiled. _Honeysuckle. _Hinata's scent was of honeysuckle. He leapt into the trees and traveled back to the village to begin the slightly monotonous task of sorting through the old trails Hinata had left and finding the freshest scent.

He did find her scent after about twenty minutes and started following the track somewhat eagerly, moving with a loping stride as he navigated the streets and roofs of Konoha until he had finally arrived at a small café. He could see Hinata sitting outside with Kiba and Shino, enjoying a meal together. Naruto sighed and Kitsune straightened his shoulders and started weaving through the clustered tables. Kiba was the first to notice his approach and scowled slightly as Kitsune stopped at the table. Shino looked at him with what seemed to be a neutral expression, though both eyebrows made a brief appearance from behind his glasses. Kitsune inclined his head in silent apology for interrupting the team's meal together before turning to Hinata. "Hinata-san, my companion and I need to discuss a proposition with you, concerning the Uchiha's curse seal. If you could just follow me to my companion's house, this shouldn't take much time at all."

Hinata nodded and made as to stand up when Kiba stood up abruptly, slamming his hands on the table. "Wait just a freakin' minute," the ninken user growled at Kitsune who mentally sighed. "What do you mean when you and your _companion_," the word was snarled, "have a proposition for Hinata? She ain't that kind of girl!"

Hinata gasped in surprise as Kitsune's jaw dropped open for a minute before shutting shut, fangs bared. "My companion and I on a mission and we require Hinata-san's Byakugan and her consultation. If you have any doubts about our intents, take it up with Tsunade-sama. But currently, we need to discuss a matter of vital importance with Hinata-san. _In private._"

Kiba opened his mouth to retort when Hinata laid her hand in his shoulder. "It's true Kiba-kun. Kitsune-san and his partner really do require my help."

Kiba looked down at his smaller teammate and sighed, reluctantly collapsing back into his seat, shooting a sullen glare at Kitsune who merely bared his teeth silently. Kiba narrowed his eyes but said nothing as Naruto let some his chakra- directed solely at the mutt- seep into the air. Akamaru, resting beneath the table whimpered and Kiba's slit eyes widened for a moment and he subsided completely.

Kitsune inclined his head once more, a triumphant smile curling his lips before he courteously offered his arm to Hinata, who took it with a slight blush and they made their way out.

Kiba watched the pair leave and his expression soured. "I don't like him," he muttered to Shino as he petted Akamaru reassuringly. "He stinks of fox."

Shino said nothing for a moment, watching as a butterfly flitted around the rim his sugary drink and settled. "My kikai do not like him either. His chakra is inhuman and my allies cannot determine the exact extent of his chakra reserves."

* * *

**AN: Argh, my groveling apologies for the late update- I went to upload my documents only for FFnet to spit them back out at me. I can only afford to give you guys a double update instead of the triple 'cause I need to get my ass in gear and write out more of Wandering. I know what I need to write, I just to need to actually write it.**

**Also, I just found out that I'm losing my laptop from July to Labor Day weekend. I'm not quite sure how this will affect my updates seeing as other computers in the house seem to hate my jump drives...Hopefully I'll be able to keep updating.  
**


	19. IXX

Naruto steered Hinata through the crowded streets of the village, eventually reaching Minato's house. As soon as the front door clicked shut, Naruto dropped his henge with a sigh of relief. "I always hate being under henge," he murmured to Hinata. "Damn things can always slip."

Hinata nodded, slipping of her shoes and following Naruto up the stairs and into what looked to be a private study. Behind the desk, Minato was hunched over several scrolls and copying furiously. Naruto cleared his throat and Minato stopped, looking up in surprise. "Oh…you're back," he said, rubbing his hand and stretching.

Naruto nodded easily and offered Hinata the only other chair before spotting a rather large pile of cushions. He arranged these to his satisfaction before sprawling lazily. Minato coughed as his son's casual manner before turning to Hinata. "So, we're pretty certain that we have a way to get rid of the curse seal but we need your Byakugan."

Hinata looked confused and Naruto yawned, letting his mouth snap shut with a loud snap. Hinata jumped and looked at him in surprise; he cracked an apologetic grin and picked up the thread of explanation. "My chakra's nature is fire so if you guide me with your Byakugan, Minato and I believe that I can cauterize the shadow tenketsu that you saw when you first examined Sasuke's chakra coils."

Hinata nodded thoughtfully. "It does make sense," she concurred. "When would you want to do this?"

"Tomorrow morning. Nine sound good?" Minato asked, smiling. Hinata smiled back at him and nodded.

Naruto stretched before rolling off the cushions and rising to his feet. "Well that was fast," he commented dryly. "I should've just grabbed _you_," he pointed at Minato, "and joined Team Eight for drinks."

Hinata giggled at the thought of her teammate's reaction to the legendary Yondaime sliding into a nearby seat and casually ordering a drink before chatting with them. "I-If that's all Minato-sama, Naruto-kun, I'd best be heading back to my family's home," Hinata spoke softly.

Naruto glanced at Minato before offering her his arm again. "I can escort you back- or rather Kitsune can," he offered with a wry grin. Hinata nodded and took his arm shyly. "I'll just grab my dinner and head back to my apartment afterwards. See ya at nine."

Minato waved a hand in farewell, already turning his attention back to the notes he was copying. Naruto grinned down at Hinata as he reapplied his henge and they stepped back out into the streets of Konoha, no longer quite so bustling as twilight descended. The two teens took their time, strolling through the streets. They didn't speak, Kitsune was enjoying the quiet and Hinata was too busy trying not to faint as her crush escorted her back to her house, arm in arm.

Eventually the two reached the entrance of the formidable Hyuuga clan compound and Naruto/Kitsune bid Hinata a somewhat-reluctant good night as she nodded gracefully at the guards and slipped inside. Naruto sighed for a moment before Kitsune reasserted himself and he gave respectful bow to the guards before taking to the roofs, heading for the forests- and hopefully his dinner.

* * *

Minato yawned as he entered Sasuke's cell, trailing behind Hinata and Naruto, knuckling the last traces of sleep from his eyes. Copying all the notes into one scroll had taken longer than he had expected and he had only managed to get about five hours sleep. _At least I don't have to do anything except apply the pain blocking seal, _the former Hokage thought ruefully.

"G'morning teme," Naruto's cheerful greeting only earned him a hateful glare from Sasuke.

"Come back at a decent hour," Sasuke growled, shoving his head under his pillow. Hinata smiled at the teen's churlish expression and typical teenaged response as Naruto casually wandered over to the side of Sasuke's bed.

Before anyone could do anything, Naruto yanked away the blankets covering the lump known as Sasuke. Sasuke swore violently and made a grab for the blankets only for Naruto to dance back, blankets in hand. Sasuke lunged off the bed and towards Naruto, murder in his eyes. However, Sasuke found himself held back by a chuckling Minato. He glowered at the intruders in his cell. "We hate to interrupt your beauty sleep, Sasuke-san, but we have work to do."

Sasuke grumbled something but relaxed. "What are you going to do today," he asked, trying not to yawn.

"Oh nothing major….I just get to cauterize the curse seal chakra producing tenketsu," Naruto explained in a chipper voice, grinning widely.

Sasuke paled, eyes glancing at Hinata for a moment. Minato sent a look at Naruto who scowled but stopped grinning so widely. "I was planning to place a pain blocking seal, Sasuke. You won't feel a thing."

"That just fills me to the brim with reassurance," Sasuke replied sarcastically. Naruto let out a bark of laughter, tossing the blankets he was still holding back onto the now-vacated cot.

Hinata watched, fascinated as Minato pulled out a ink and inkwell and proceeded to paint a small but intricate seal on Sasuke's sternum. After allowing the ink time to dry, Minato proceeded to poke and prod and generally establish that Sasuke was currently incapable of feeling pain. Finally ready, Minato motioned for Sasuke to lie on his cot and looked at Hinata and Naruto. Hinata nodded firmly and activated her Byakugan while Naruto focused two very thin, but very visible spikes of crimson chakra out of his index and middle fingers.

"Ready when you are Hinata-chan," Naruto spoke in a steady tone, moving to kneel at the head of Sasuke's cot.

Hinata stepped to stare down at the chakra coils where the shadow tenketsu lay. "The nearest tenketsu point you want to cauterize is two inches away from the curse seal, on your right," she reported in a crisp, professional tone. She watched carefully, nodding as Naruto hit the precise point she mentioned. "It's working," she stated in a quiet aside to Minato, watching as the evil purple chakra seemed to resist Naruto's chakra but was quickly seared into inactivity. As an apparent bonus, the already cursed chakra near the now-dead tenketsu was cauterized as well.

Naruto smiled and looked to the diminutive Hyuuga for the next tenketsu point's location. "The opposite side of the curse seal, only an inch away."

Naruto quickly vaporized that tenketsu, looking back at Hinata. The pair fell into an easy pattern of Hinata identifying the tenketsu, Naruto's strange chakra easily burning away the tainted chakra points and the nearby chakra and the blonde looking back at Hinata. About ten minutes had passes and twenty three tenketsu had been destroyed. Hinata let out a deep sigh. "This is the last one," she murmured. "Three inches from the curse seal, near the sternocleidomastoid muscle."

Naruto pressed his fingers to the final point, applying his chakra just long enough for the tenketsu to shrivel up and die before slumping back onto his heels with a groan. "I think my knees ar-Shit! Minato!"

Minato straightened from his lazy slouch, eyes narrowed as he observed the rune blueprints unfurled on Sasuke's shoulder, a notepad and pen appearing in his hands, scribbling seal names and designs quickly. Naruto had closed his eyes, trusting that Minato would see the seals and remember them. "Got them all," Minato said with satisfaction, watching the blueprints slowly fading back into nothing.

Naruto grunted, slowly clambering to his knees with a hiss of pain. Sasuke sat up, pulling a blanket towards him and wrapped it around his shoulders. "Can I get this pain killer seal removed now," he grumbled, looking at Minato who shook his head.

"It'll wear off in about an hour- and trust me, there'll be some lingering pain from getting twenty-four tenketsu and some chakra fried into nothingness. It's best to," here Minato grinned, "sleep it off."

Sasuke smirked, hauling the other blankets around him and curling up on his cot, back to the room. "Finally," he mumbled, closing his eyes as Minato, Hinata and Naruto left his cell.

"My knees are killing me," Naruto grumbled as he found himself escorting Hinata, once again, back to her home. Minato had left to finish the written report. Naruto had offered to help him but when Naruto had scribbled an example of his handwriting Minato turned an interesting pale shade and stammered a disclaimer. Naruto watched Minato leave at a higher rate of speed than normal before laughing, Hinata giggling softly beside him. Naruto grinned down at her before glancing to the side.

"It looks like we have arrived, Hinata-san," Kitsune murmured. Hinata nodded somewhat reluctantly, blushing as Kitsune gave her a courtly bow.

The Hyuuga girl moved towards the door, stopping in surprise as the gate slowly slid open to reveal the formidable visage of one Hyuuga Hiashi. Kitsune felt a chill on the back of his neck as Hinata quickly bowed and the clan leader murmured something to her. Whatever he asked, it had sent her darting into the compound while Hiashi turned to look at Kitsune. "My daughter was sent to prepare tea for us, Kitsune-san. Please, won't you enjoy a cup with me?" Hiashi's invitation was as impersonal as his expression and Naruto shuddered mentally. He could see where Neji had gotten his demeanor.

"I would be honored to sit with the Hyuuga clan leader," Kitsune replied, his voice neutral even as he smiled pleasantly. At Hiashi's imperious wave, Kitsune entered the Hyuuga clan compound, following the clan leader through the twisting hallways of the traditional architecture before arriving at a small room that appeared to be Hiashi's study.

Kitsune settled himself easily on the cushions provided, observing the older man before him. They sat in silence until Hinata entered with a knock, holding a tea tray. As the scented steam drifted, Kitsune raised his mental eyebrows. The tea he was being served was an extremely rare blend. _What else could he have? _The fox wondered, envying the man. Hinata served the tea silently and bowed before leaving the room. Hiashi poured the tea and sipped at his own cup. Kitsune's lips twitched as he reached for his own cup. _Very neat of him to prove to me that the tea wasn't poisoned_, Kitsune thought, idly sipping his own tea.

"The gate guards tell me that you have escorted my eldest home often Kitsune-san," Hiashi observed, his voice still neutral.

Kitsune smiled slightly and bowed his head gracefully. "I do only what any other gentle man would do, Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi drank his tea. "I was not aware that jinchuuriki- or kitsune- were in the habit of being gentlemen."

Kitsune's eyes narrowed and he placed his cup on the low table before him, careful to keep his hands relaxed and visible to the clan leader. "You make a bold statement. Sir," he stated in a low voice.

Hiashi glared at Kitsune. "My Byakugan does not need to be active to sense the foul chakra flowing through your coils, Uzumaki Naruto."

Kitsune's lip twitched. "Uzumaki Naruto is currently in northern Hi no Kuni."

"Not according to your chakra signature. I wonder what the council would say if they knew if their footless fox was back in town," he murmured, eyes watching Kitsune's reaction.

Naruto dropped his henge, teeth bared in a growl. "Do not think you can use me as part of a political ploy, Hyuuga Hiashi. I am not the naïve little genin fool that left. Tell the council what you will but when my idiot teammate is free of the curse, I will renew my travel pass and leave."

"Ah, but one cannot help but wonder why you go through the effort of keeping your presence secret. What would your classmates say if they heard you were back."

Naruto growled, planting his hands and leaning forward. "There are duties I must attend to as the next Kyuubi bijuu. So unless you want Konoha dealing with the youkai trying to enter this plane by itself, I suggest you remain silent. I am _still _rooting out the demons who have made themselves at home here in the past seventeen years."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes but stayed silent. Naruto smiled, letting himself relax. "Very well then…Thank you for the tea but I still have some matters to attend to." Naruto got up gracefully and bowed to the still-silent clan leader before leaving.

* * *

**AN: Ah...The plot slowly starts moving as I wrap up the Curse Seal Removal arc. What's Hiashi going to do, with Naruto threatening him politically? See you- hopefully- next week.**


	20. XX

**AN: I'm back! **

* * *

Naruto groaned as he collapsed into the unoccupied chair in Minato's study. "Fucking hell," he moaned, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

Minato glanced up at Naruto's sprawled form but continued writing the report. "Language," he commented absently. "What happened," he asked, putting down his pen and massaging his fingers to relieve cramps.

Naruto let out a weak laugh. "Oh nothing much…I just had a meeting with Hyuuga Hiashi." Naruto let an arm flop over his eyes as if that would block out the memory of the eventful meeting.

"Ouch," Minato chuckled. "What did he want?"

Naruto removed his arm long enough to send a sour look at Minato. "He just wanted to let me know that _he _knew that Kitsune and I are the same person. He threatened to tell the Council or Sakura."

Minato carefully set the mission report aside and looked at Naruto. "What did you do?"

Naruto grinned, his tone ironic. "I might have told him to keep quiet unless he wanted Konoha to deal with youkai by itself."

Minato sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, resisting the urge to bang his head on the desk in front of him. "Wonderful. I'm guessing that was a bluff."

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "Er….mostly…Why?"

"Because he's going to call that bluff." Minato sat back as Naruto tensed for a moment before relaxing back into his chair.

"Well…" Naruto paused, trying to accurately sum up his situation. "Fuck."

* * *

Several days later and Naruto found himself hiding in Sasuke's cell, anticipating Hiashi calling his bluff. After the rest of the counterseals had been applied and the curse seal fully removed, Sasuke had taken to sleeping more, claiming to feel weak. Minato had snorted and Naruto explained. "Of course you feel weaker! We just finished taking away what has been a major source of power to you. It would've been like taking away the Kyuubi from me when I left here."

Minato glanced at his son, startled. This had been the first time he had blatantly stated to Sasuke the source of his changes. Sasuke's eyes contained a brief flicker of surprise but Sasuke just accepted the explanation, wrapping a blanket around his shoulders. Minato left to deliver the first half of the final mission report as Naruto slumped to the floor, watching Sasuke who was watching him.

* * *

Minato approached Tsunade's office under henge. For once, he had entered the Hokage Tower in the civilian manner. He nodded cordially to the shinobi in the halls and smiled at the exhausted Shizune, for once, sitting at her desk. Before Shizune could check to see if Tsunade were busy, a pink-haired kunoichi approached Tsunade's office, her expression promising a world of pain to whoever got in between her and her goal. Shizune didn't say anything, watching as the kunoichi slammed the door open. Curious, Minato followed the girl as she stormed up to the Godaime's desk.

"Where. Is he?" The kunoichi demanded in a low growl.

Tsunade didn't even look up from the document she was signing as she replied. "ANBU holding cells with the Uchiha. Do leave some pieces intact Sakura."

The kunoichi- Sakura, Naruto's genin teammate Minato realized- nodded curtly and left the office. Minato watched the pinkette leave with an apprehensive feeling as he placed his report on Tsunade's desk. "Should...Should I be worried?" he asked the busty Hokage.

"No, not really. Sakura's my apprentice so she'll put back together whatever she breaks neatly enough. And she'll need an escort to go to ANBU. If we're lucky, Seal or Ookami will catch her."

"Oh. Uh, okay…Here's the first half of the mission report. I'll have to talk to Seal about how Sasuke responds to his therapy now that the curse seal is gone."

Tsunade nodded with a pleased smile. "That's good…that's very good." She placed the report to one side and motioned for Minato to sit. Minato shook his head and remained standing. "Now that the seal matter is taken care of, what are you going to do? I'll announce you're back but then what?"

"I'll probably just go on the active mission lists as a regular jounin," Minato replied absently, scratching his cheek.

* * *

Naruto yawned lazily, shifting into a slightly more comfortable position. Sasuke was leaning on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Naruto paused, frowning as he heard something…His face paled for a moment and sent him scrambling to his feet as the door of the cell was slammed open. Sakura stood there, her fists clenched tightly and eyes narrowed in a fierce glare. "You _bastard,_" she growled. "You leave here for three years with not a word or a letter and then you _do _come back, it's under a fucking persona and you plan to leave again without saying anything?!" Naruto stood silent and after a moment, Sakura strode into the cell, and grabbed Naruto by the vest. "Answer me dammit!"

"Mm….Yeah," Naruto admitted in a casual tone. He looked down at Sakura in time to see her fist heading for his jaw at a high velocity. His head snapped back with a crack that made Sasuke wince. "Dammit, can't I explain?! Shit, you're as violent as baa-chan!"

"Then start. Explaining," Sakura growled, cracking her knuckles in a menacing manner. She even had one fist raised in preparation when a gloved hand placed itself on her shoulder, restraining her. Sakura looked back to see a seal-masked ANBU as Naruto breathed a silent sigh of relief and Sasuke relaxed.

"Violence will not speed his explanation any, Sakura-san," Seal spoke in a neutral tone of voice.

Naruto nodded and looked as Sasuke. "Shove over and make room for Sakura, teme. Are you going to stay Seal?"

Seal's only response was to lean against the wall, folding his arms over his chest as Sakura sat on the end of Sasuke's bed, watching Naruto with narrowed eyes as he settled back on the floor, back against the wall, his face pensive. "Saa…what to tell, what not to tell," he mused, looking at Sakura with a calculating look that unnerved the pinkette. "No…not everything, I think."

Sakura bristled at that remark. "There are some things I already know," she said in a heated tone.

Naruto cocked his head, intrigued. "Oh?"

"As a medic I had access to your medical history. And through my own investigating I found out about the Kyuubi. Don't treat me like an idiot Naruto, I'm not the only one to have changed," Sakura explained with a growl.

"Fair enough," Naruto inclined his head, readjusting mental plans. "But here's what my files will _never _say: I'm no longer human. The Kyuubi's chakra absorbed all of my chakra, making me just as youkai as Kyuubi."

Sakura's mouth dropped open in shock. "But Tsunade-shishou said-"

"The seal. Changed," Naruto snarled in a low voice. "When I absorb all of the current Kyuubi's chakra, I become the next Kyuubi bijuu. And since you've looked at my medical files, what do you think the villagers will do if they get a chance?" Sakura let her gaze drop to the ground, silent. "Yeah. I _can't _come back Sakura, not if the truth gets out." Naruto stood up and left abruptly. Sakura stared after him for a moment before pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. Sasuke looked at her for a moment before returning to his previous task of staring at the ceiling.

The two old teammates sat in silence for a while before Sakura broke the silence. "I…shit. How the hell did we never notice?" Her voice was very soft, a few steps above a whisper.

For the first time since Naruto had left, Seal spoke. "Naruto is very good at creating and living behind his masks." His voice was still neutral, almost without any inflection at all.

Sakura raised her head to look at the ANBU. "But the emotional and physical abuse! There's no way he could live even a civilian life, let alone a shinobi one without extensive-"

"Therapy?" Seal interrupted. "Make no mistake Sakura-san, he did go through very extensive, intensive, therapy. While he was still in the village, he would have sessions every October to dull the reflexes the villagers revived."

Sakura blinked at the information the seemingly-reticent ANBU had given her. "Oh. But how do you know all this? I thought only his- _Oh." _

She stopped in realization and Seal smiled crookedly behind his mask. "Very good Sakura-san," he complimented, approval creeping into his voice. "I was his therapist. Speaking of therapy, I have a session scheduled with Sasuke now. I've already called another ANBU to escort you out Sakura-san."

Sakura nodded, getting to her feet. "Of course. I'll see you later Sasuke…" She exited the cell to see a familiar shock of spiky silver hair and a worn wolf mask buried in a sadly familiar orange book. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Sakura sighed as the ANBU looked up.

"Sakura-chan," he greeted her with an amused voice.

"You know, if you really hadn't wanted me to find out about you, you would've put a henge on that hair of yours, Kakashi-sensei," she muttered, falling into step behind her former teacher. She didn't expect any reply and the walk back to the village was silent.

The medic was about to wave goodbye when Kakashi spoke. "What will you do?"

Sakura knew perfectly well what the ANBU was talking about. She opened her mouth to reply only to stop. "I…don't know," she whispered. "I thought I knew him, but I really didn't. And now, after three years, he's _back. _But not really because he's so…so angry and _not_-Naruto and…not human. And he's just going to leave again, without saying anything to anyone."

Kakashi watched Sakura's face crumple as the teenager tried to figure out her own emotions and how she should react to the new-not-new Naruto. Ookami could recall any number of times a very young, very angry Naruto would spend hours just running or punching a hapless training log to try and get rid of the rage that built up in that so small, so fragile little boy body. "I think," he spoke carefully, "that becoming kitsune does not instantly mean the Naruto we know is gone. Anger is very logical reaction for him, knowing that he can no longer protect his precious people in the way he wants to. Try talking to him; see if you can get to know the _real _Uzumaki Naruto, and not one of his masks."

Sakura's brow creased as she mulled over Kakashi/Ookami's advice before nodding slowly. "I think I'll try that," she murmured, turning to walk back to her home. Kakashi watched her for a long moment before turning towards the Hokage tower to report.

* * *

Minato sighed and ran a hand through his hair, once again standing on the roofs of Konoha, is search of his son, squinting in the glare of the setting sun. "I swear, I'm going to put a tracking seal on him and be done with it," the former Hokage muttered in exasperation. A few minutes of looking for Naruto's chakra and Minato located his wayward offspring at the Memorial Stone training ground. Minato let out another sigh and took the first leap that would lead him to Naruto. _I really do need to reseed the village with my Hiraishin kunai, _he thought absently.

As he approached the training ground, Minato heard the familiar sounds of limbs hitting the well worn training logs. He dropped to the ground and entered the training grounds to see Naruto fiercely attacking the wooden posts in the whirling, circling style of Uzuken. For a moment Minato stood and watched, impressed as Naruto continued to attack. Then, the slight feeling of pride turned to alarm as Minato saw the gleam of blood spattered on the log and Naruto's hands. "Naruto!" he shouted, moving out into the clearing proper quickly. Naruto gave no sign of stopping so Minato slowed and stood for a moment, waiting until Naruto paused, just slightly, to prepare for a spinning kick. Minato struck, grabbing Naruto's wrists and forcing the teenager away from the training logs.

Naruto fell to the ground silently, panting as glazed eyes refocused on Minato. Minato stood over him, arms folded across his chest and worried. "What was that for," Naruto demanded, still breathing rather heavily, sitting up as if his knuckles were not scraped raw and bleeding.

Minato scowled and sat next to Naruto, grabbing at the hand closest to him. "To keep you from mauling your knuckles so badly you wouldn't be able to fight again," he replied crossly, pulling out several spare ends of bandages and swiping at where the blood seemed to be oozing. Naruto hissed in pain and made as if to jerk his hand away but Minato tightened his grip and continued cleaning Naruto's hand. A few more swabs and Naruto's hand was clean. Minato looked down in fascination as the widespread abrasions slowly closed up. Naruto looked at his hand dispassionately before grabbing an unused bandage from his own pouch and securing the linen around the scabbing. Minato reached for the other hand and Naruto allowed the man to clean that hand before bandaging. "The scabs will be gone by tomorrow," Naruto said.

Minato nodded absently. "Does your skin form calluses or does your healing factor prevent calluses from forming?"

Naruto looked surprised. "Uh, calluses mostly."

Minato nodded again, interested. "Now, the question begs to be asked: Why were you trying to destroy that helpless training log?" Privately, Minato already knew the reasons, but it would be better if he could discourage Naruto from maiming a certain clan head.

"Sakura knows I'm back," Naruto growled, eyes narrowed menacingly. "She will tell the others and I will find myself back in this village, chained by their good will." Minato said nothing, waiting for Naruto to continue.

When he didn't, Minato looked up at the sky for a moment and sighed. "And what will you do now? Kill and or maim Hiashi for calling your bluff? I do not think Hinata-san would enjoy that very much."

Naruto froze for a moment before he smiled, lips curling into a deadly expression. "Ah, but was it truly a bluff? I am only one kitsune, no matter how powerful. There might be some youkai who slip by." Catching sight of Minato's stony expression Naruto snorted. "Oh don't worry. Most demons are so weak that a chuunin could take them out. I have no desire to finish my predecessor's work."

Minato let out a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing. Naruto chuckled mirthlessly and stood up, brushing off any dust and splinters from his pants and sash. "I think I'll go catch dinner before all of my possible entrees go to bed, and go to sleep myself," Naruto spoke casually but Minato still flinched a little. Naruto stared at him for a long moment before shrugging and heading into the forests.

Minato watched as Naruto slipped easily into hiding in the foliage before sighing and heading back towards the village to find his own supper.


	21. XXI

Sakura rolled her neck to try and loosen her knotted neck muscles as she scrubbed her hands free of her last patient's blood and other body fluids. Sakura watched as the last of the pink tinged water swirl down the drain and carefully dried her hands off before returning to her locker to grab the bag of bloody clothes she had changed out of. "Definitely a laundry night," Sakura muttered, hefting the bag over her shoulder with a deft twist of her wrist as she walked out. _I wonder if I can get my clothes into the washer and blood-free before Mom or Dad get home, _the medic wondered absently as she exited the hospital itself, waving to the receptionist on duty.

Sakura easily wove through the evening crowds in the streets, moving into the residential districts of Konoha. She hummed a light tune she had heard a few days ago, curious as to what she should make for dinner- Sakura stopped suddenly on the balcony outside her apartment. Naruto, under his Kitsune henge, was leaning against the railing across from her apartment door, a brooding look on his face as he stared at the floor, eyes blanked in concentration.

Sakura deliberately stepped on a creaky part of the balcony and stopped as Naruto's head snapped up and focused on her. The two stared at each other in silence before Sakura walked up to her door and unlocked it and opened it briefly to placed her laundry bag inside before turning to look at Naruto. Naruto looked her over carefully before speaking. "You haven't told anyone I'm back," he stated bluntly. "_Why_?"

Sakura snorted for a moment. "Because that's what teammates do," she replied in an acidic tone of voice. A flicker of surprise passed through Naruto's eyes before he blinked. Sakura sighed and rubbed at her forehead. "Look, why don't you come in?" she offered, pushing her door open.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock and he would've backpedaled if the railing behind him had allowed him to do so. "I, uh…" He risked a backwards glance and smiled as he calculated the sun's angle. "I have to go catch dinner," smoothly providing a safe excuse.

Sakura squinted at the sun and looked confused. "But Ichiraku's is-"

"Closed to do taxes, I know," Naruto finished, waving a hand. "Sakura," he paused, making sure she was listening. "Most of my meals don't come from within the village."

"What does that-oh." Realization dawned on Sakura's face and she sighed, looking down at the floor for a moment before looking up to see Naruto's slightly sad smile. "Well…If you're down in your laundry room in about an hour, I have a couple of loads to wash," she compromised. The pinkette was not about to let her old teammate slip out of her life once more without a fight. Naruto rocked on his heels for a moment, thinking before nodding hesitantly.

Sakura smiled and stepped back into her apartment. "See you in an hour then."

* * *

Naruto hunched protectively over his kill, still breathing heavily from the unexpected sprint. _Should've know that even baby deer can run bloody fast…_As his heart had settled back to its normal rhythm, Naruto grabbed his dinner by the neck and started hauling it towards the nearest stream- he always liked to eat by water, it made for an easier cleaning when he was done. Thankfully he did not have to drag the baby deer's carcass too far and was able to settle down to the important business of filling his complaining stomach.

Almost an hour had passed before Naruto licked his chops, blinking lazily as he contemplated the stripped bones in front of him before sighing and heaving himself up and sauntering over to the stream to wash his muzzle and forepaws free of the dried and crusty blood. **Not that **_**I **_**care by any stretch of your puny imagination, but I thought you had agreed to meet with the pink haired bitch, **Kyuubi spoke for the first time in a long while. Naruto froze for a moment before groaning as he quickly changed back to his human form and disappearing back towards the village in a reckless series of Shunshins that had his stomach lurching uncomfortably.

* * *

Sakura sighed as she crammed the heap of bodily fluid stained clothing into the washer, setting the water temperature to cold and dumping in a large amount of salt to help rinse away the stains of her profession. She had almost expected to find Naruto waiting for her, but the blonde or his persona was not present.

Sakura had just slammed the washer door shut with a little more force than necessary when Naruto appeared with his own basket of laundry. Sakura looked up in surprise to see Naruto carefully place his basket on a washer before toppling over to the ground with a loud groan, his face a rather interesting shade of green. "Note to self…" Naruto moaned from his sprawled position. "Never Shunshin repeatedly on a full stomach…"

Sakura snorted but walked over to Naruto and crouched next to him. "Doesn't your healing factor take care of this kind of stuff?"

"Physical things yes, but not sheer stupidity," Naruto muttered, gingerly sitting up.

Sakura laughed, pulling Naruto up onto his feet. "You'll be fine I think," she laughed.

Naruto nodded and moved his basket of vests, pants, under things and sashes next to Sakura's basket, eyeing the few garments Sakura hadn't managed to stuff inside the washer. Sakura watched as one of his shoulders twitched up in a minute shrug before he sorted through his own basket.

Sakura smiled slightly, reflecting how easy most a shinobi's laundry was most of the time. Most Konoha ninja used the uniforms provided with their rank or just bought duplicates of the same outfit. Same outfits meant that they were made of the same cloth and same color. That essentially eliminated the need for sorting anything unless it was horrendously stained (like Sakura's clothing). Naruto glanced up to see her smile and quirked a silent eyebrow inquiringly. _That's something that's changed, _Sakura reflected before explaining.

Naruto nodded sagely. "Makes sense to me," he commented, starting his first load. "My clothing is made of linen or linen-canvas for the vests and pants. The sashes are made out of cotton." He looked over in time to Sakura's eyebrows rise towards her hairline and rolled his eyes. "I _have _lived by myself for my entire life," he commented dryly.

"Well you shouldn't have," Sakura not-quite snapped.

Naruto nodded and did another of his minute one-shoulder shrugs, leaning against the humming washer. "True." His tone was tight and his hands clenched over the washer's edge. "But I had to and I did."

Sakura turned to glare at him. "That doesn't make it right."

Naruto snorted, his expression and voice bitter. "And what do you expect? I was the demon brat, the fox demon that killed the Yondaime and almost three-fourths of the shinobi force and about half of the civilians."

Sakura growled low in her throat, drawing a surprised a look from Naruto as Sakura glared at the floor. "Stupid fucking hidebound, close-minded villagers!"

"Let it go Sakura," Naruto muttered, slightly embarrassed that she seemed to be so enraged on _his _behalf.

"I did, Naruto! And that ended with you leaving the village for three years." Sakura's fists were clenched, her stance aggressive. Naruto's eyes widened as he looked at his former teammate, smelling the adrenaline and other pheromones of anger on Sakura. Sakura rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Get it through your head: I. Care. Don't tell me that you forgot Kakashi-sensei's first lesson."

Naruto let his gaze drop to the floor and he slumped. "No," he mumbled under his breath. "But how can we stay together as a pac- ah, team, when I can't stay in the village?"

Sakura stared at him for a moment before waving her hand to dismiss the point. "Then why are you still here," she asked.

"It's _Sasuke_," Naruto said gruffly. "Not going to leave him rotting in a cell. Besides," he rubbed his chin with a slightly guilty look. "As a sealer, the curse seal was a rather enticing challenge."

Sakura shook her in exasperation. "Right. But I'm sure that we could work out something with Tsunade-sama so that we could do missions together. When's Sasuke due to be released?"

Naruto shrugged absently. "Tail end of August I think. He's slowly responding to Seal's therapy," he replied, scratching his head.

Sakura brightened. "It's only August third now- that gives us plenty of time of think of something."

Naruto nodded grudgingly, his head perking up as he heard a familiar step approaching the laundry room. "Somebody's coming," he said, already sniffing the air to try and catch a whiff of the person's scent. He did so and pulled back with a jerk, eyes narrowing as Kakashi walked into the small laundry room.

"Maa Sakura-chan, Tsunade-sama needs you at the hospital," he drawled in his nonchalant tone.

Sakura blanched for a moment. "I just got off!" she started to protest before shaking her head. "Never mind. I'll be right there."

She spared a worried glance towards her laundry and Naruto shifted uncomfortably for a moment before offering, "I'll take care of your laundry. It's safe enough at my apartment."

Sakura threw him a grateful look before launching herself out the door without so much as a goodbye. Kakashi moved gracefully out her way and watched as she took to the roofs. "She's grown a lot," he commented softly, turning to look at Naruto's wary stance.

"Saa," Naruto commented shortly, moving to fold his rough piles of dirty laundry into neater stacks. "She'll be better than baa-chan soon," he acknowledged after a moment, eyes still focused on his task. Naruto heard Kakashi move deeper into the laundry room and felt his jaw clench for a moment- he did not like the thought of his former teacher being anywhere near his den, even a minimal part such as the laundry room. A near silent grunt and creak of metal nearby told the fox that the jounin had settled himself on a washer.

"I wonder much Sasuke has grown," Kakashi pretended to muse. Naruto could feel the man's gaze on him and felt his muscles ratchet one level tenser. "I suppose you would know, having fought him…"

Naruto slammed the last stack of folded laundry down abruptly, tired of Kakashi's lack of subtleness, knowing that the man was fully capable of being subtle, and turned to face his old teacher. "Either employ the subtlety I am sure you possess or ask me your questions," he all but growled.

Kakashi's usually languid gaze sharpened as Naruto let his fangs show- just a trifle, Kakashi was not the ignorant Kiba and while he was not Inuzuka, Naruto doubted that the Hatake would let him dominate that easily. "Fine then…Do _you _think it's possible for this Team Seven will survive? Do you want it to?"

Naruto forcibly relaxed his muscles and turned his attention back to the humming laundry machine. "I…" To his shock and slight embarrassment, Naruto felt his throat close up. "They're pack," he was able to force out. "_My _pack," he amended with possessive glitter in his eyes as he felt his throat muscles relax. Kakashi straightened out of his slouch, slightly alarmed as Naruto grinned, an edgy smile.

"At least you retained your loyalty," Kakashi muttered. "That's good Naruto. Like Sakura said, we'll figure something out."

Naruto nodded sharply, ignoring the implication that Kakashi had eavesdropped. "Maybe," he agreed cautiously. It would not do to find himself trapped in the village.

"Really, how has Sasuke progressed?" Kakashi pressed and Naruto scowled, rubbing at his shoulder for a moment.

"He's strong," Naruto admitted with only the hint of a grudge. "Physically at least."

Kakashi did not miss the implication. "Ah, but what about mentally? Will he be able to return to active duty when he is freed?"

Naruto shrugged idly, stroking the ends of his sash. "Leave things to Seal. I turned out fine didn't I?"

"That's debatable," Kakashi muttered under his breath but nodded. He trusted his partner to do his job in his usual fashion: meticulous, caring and thorough. "Well, I better get home," he eye-smiled as he moved towards the door.

Naruto snorted softly, making Kakashi pause and look back at his student. Naruto grinned widely. "I know who wears the pants in the relationship," he chuckled. "And I didn't even have to use my nose."

The skin that was visible above Kakashi's mask tinted pink and the jounin left without denying or affirming anything. Naruto grinned for a moment longer before turning back to the laundry, Sakura's washer having just beeped its finishing buzzer.

* * *

**AN: Too tired....Too headachy...**


	22. An Ending

… [sighs deeply]

It pains me to have to write this. Never the less, I feel it has to be done. It's coming up on a year since I put Wandering Fox on its second hiatus and I haven't even _touched _the story since then. Life has gotten in the way, but I've still managed to continue writing other stories. The only thing preventing me from posting those stories is my deep and abiding hatred of a bad habit I've notice in writers: We get stuck in writer's block annnd we start a new story. We get stuck on that new story annnd we start another. It's a vicious cycle that eats away at an author's creative spirit and time, making for unhappy writers and unhappy readers.

But I digress. I don't feel the same deep and abiding passion for Wandering Fox, hell, for _Naruto, _that I used to. Feel free to blame this on myself, my so-called maturation as a person and as a writer and oh yeah, the manga-ka currently screwing the manga over. [headdesks] Naruto has descended so thoroughly down to the depths of hell that I describe reading it as a train wreck: I can't stop and I can't look away. The only thing that keeps me reading it is a morbid desire to see how Kishimoto will end it, if he ever does, and an inborn stubbornness. I've stuck with it this long, I'll stick with it to the end.

So. I've lost any and all desire to work on Wandering Fox. Still, it's not fair to you, my faithful readers, to just drop the story and leave you all hanging. If you were hanging. (What was that last chapter about…?) Ahem. My solution is a simple one: I'm putting Wandering Fox up for adoption. If you're interested in taking the story over, PM me and I'll take a look at your writing to see if your style fits. Hint: Spelling and grammar are a must.

To the lucky soul who inherits this story, I'll e-mail you all that I have written. If you're interested, I'll give you my vague and _reeeeeally _underdeveloped thoughts as how to plot would've progressed. If you don't want afore mentioned thoughts, that's fine. I'm giving this story up, whoever gets it can do whatever they want with it.

I don't know if I'll continue writing in the Naruto fandom beyond drabbles and oneshots. My creative and twisted thoughts have been captured by Cirque du Soleil's Kooza and I have _twenty two_ drabbles written for that wonderful and amazing universe, waiting to be posted and with more to be written. CS Lewis's Narnia also entices my mind on occasion.

[sighs] I wish it wasn't ending this way, but it is. If you are interested in adopting Wandering Fox, please contact me via PM. Once the story has been adopted, I will post the new writer's pen name on my profile and you all can continue reading it.


	23. Successful Adoption

Wandering Fox has been successfully adopted by maliekal tharakan


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